Perishable Wings: Fable of the Kaou
by Ou-Rex
Summary: There is always some level of truth in what we, today, deem as myths. So goes the same for gods. Perhaps every great man has reached this level of godhood and worshiped by a people to a point where, even when there was death, they could do no wrong!
1. From Ouhana to Kaou

**(A/N: Welcome back to the latest instillation of Perishable. To my faithful readers and ninja readers, welcome. As you know by now after so many parts, this is a short, gory, tragedian piece of work. Tragedies are my forte and horror seems to be too. This is rated M for a reason. I will not be troubled by the agony it wrought upon your tiny little mind if ye cannot read the A/Ns. Well enjoy guys!)**

**Chapter 1: From Ouhana to Kaou**

Kaou, a true title for the king of flowers. Ouhana is but a respectful term for one who, for a time has been believed to be a flower himself, but his true form has finally been revealed to the people. He had returned to the place where it all began: Kamakura. The hill that once lay in ashen ruin had regrown much of its foliage come the new spring. The warm summer air gave rise to the fertile soil, driven to repopulate thanks be to the fires.

The area had been proclaimed sacred by believers and the grasses were fed with the blood of Athens who sought to burn the sacred land once again. Hanabake sprouted from the land, but not like any hanabake seen prior or since. These hanabake were small and never seemed to leave the fertile land. Their gourd bodies and snaking limbs reminded many of the Nameless one, known by Karasuuri to the Kaou himself. The tiny hanabake were complacent and never shrieked, or bid ill to any worshipers too near. In fact the gourds, known as Hyoubake, often offered worshipers their bodies, which were filled with a sweet nectar believed to be graced by the Kaou's holy powers.

The Hyoubake surrounded the territory which was once the location to the manor of witches. No mortal stepped onto the land, but could easily see the grave of their god before them. For many it was a blessing. The skies of Kamakura were no longer black. Karasuuri, the Nameless One, sat rooted in the ground in the center of the property, where the foundations of the old manor once lie. To the west of the property was a great hill lined by trees where many worshipers marked the boundaries of the land and set up shrines for prayer. To the south of the property were great cliffs where perched a great flock of ravens. The ravens were said to be messengers of the Kaou's Lady.

To the East and North was the great ocean. The trails from Karasuuri's roots could still be seen burrowed in the sands, where many Dunfluers, which looked very similar to the hanabake of olde, but they were smaller and their tails were bright yellow. Dunfluers were also much more passive than their Helian counterparts. Dunfluers fed off minerals in the sands and made burrows that helped the naturally irrigate the land. Naturally the land was proclaimed the new Eden by worshipers, and many around the world sought to travel to the holy land and see the great Kaou for themselves.

The Athens could be noy more furious. It seemed the more they fought against this false kami and his followers, the worse they looked and the more powerful he became. It was true the great Kaou never acted against life, there was even word that he was merciful and never hurt the innocent, but did that merely make him a coward?

"Coward!" Shuzen slammed his fist against the metal table of the subterranean shelter. The underground train-cars provided the last safe haven for those who refused to "believe". The roots of the hanabake could not reach through the thick, concrete walls. There were groups of workers that kept the walls a constant solid force by digging tunnels and using the remains of those tunnels to make concrete. It was a constant cycle, but it kept them alive and safe. These tunnels often allowed them to travel safely, but the danger of earthquakes from continental plate shifts was a constant fear. This threat was limited thanks to the youkai that assisted the humans, and the humans natural tenacity in the face of adversity kept the youkai pushing forward. Without one another they would have since lost their lives to that demon, self-proclaimed kami.

The only way they can even feed is to send the strongest and bravest up on suicide runs to the surface to steal food from the believers or hunt meat, and that sometimes meant other humans as Suisen hanabake often guarded game. And because Suisen were pack hunters, the hanabake were far too dangerous for any group to take on head first for a bit of meat.

Shuzen fell to his knees, unable to hold back his sobs. Kahlua stood before him with Miyabi at her side. "It cannot..." His once strong voice wavered. "It cannot be true!" Miyabi bowed his head and he and Kahlua kept their eyes from the blood stained cloak. It was Akuha's favorite cloak, torn to shreds, covered in her own blood.

"By the time we reached their location in the Northern wastes of Hokkaido... there was nothing left of them but their blood, and traces of flesh." Miyabi calmly explained. "Shuzen, we cannot wait any longer. He has grown too powerful." Shuzen choked back his tears and stood. His precious daughters... one by one... The old vampire looked up and turned his gaze to Kahlua. He reached out his arms and the usually bright eyed vampires raced into his embrace. She could not cry for them. All her tears had been spent. She would have her revenge. Shuzen nodded.

"I understand. There is one more weapon we have, but we must make our way to my property, which is deep within territory controlled by this demon. If we can wake her from her slumber, we will be able to fight this terror." Shuzen held strong and looked to Miyabi. Miyabi nodded in understanding. "Tell the crews we must begin digging toward the East, toward Eden and beyond its reaches. We must reach the great cliffs. And than, if only than, can we stand a chance to reach the edges of my former territory, can we stand a chance against the hellspawn." the old lord asserted.

In Eden the Kaou, kami of all the world and king of all plants, lay with his family in peace. The grasses beneath them were warm, and Karasuuri provided a wondrous shade. There were many who compared the beautiful, fruit-bearing tree, to Yggdrasil. It was the only fruit-bearing tree in all of Japan, and sat to be the throne of the great kami. Its roots were said to reach throughout the world and provide its fruit to the many trees found around the world, as the only remaining fruit-bearing trees within their territories. Karasuuri was motionless, and slept. It's leafless branches curled into the sky and its glowing fruits absorbed the luxury of the sun. The mighty demon tree provided a home to her master, mistress, and sisters.

**o*o*o*o*o*o*o*o**

**(A/N: Beta'd by GrrDraxin)**


	2. My Eden

**Chapter 2: My Eden**

Hokuto was spared. The rogue male was caught by the hanabake enforcers and strung up at the edges of the Sagami Bay. Here many praised the kami's mercy, even at the hands of the traitor. Word came about, by the Mermaid clans, that Hokuto sought to usurp kami's power by taking the blood of his earth born relative. Hokuto was strung by vines in a sacrificial position reserved for the gods. His body was bound to a cross-shaped post of rotting wood. The mermaids swam along the edges of their territory and kept guard. There were those who fed the helpless prophet, and there were those who would pity his fall from kami's grace. He was never struck, or beaten, but his dignity and pride took the force of all of the emotional abuse it could muster. Soon the prophet fell to insanity and would shout and mutter chants of praises to kami's mercy and the punishment waiting for those who sin.

"You!" He shouted to anyone near enough. "Sin and kami will turn his back from you!" A wild smirk pulled across his features as he struggled frantically in his bindings. "He will turn from you and no longer will you hear the whispers! The whispers will become ever _**silent!**_ Do not lose it! You will be alone! Utterly alone!" It was what many worshipers heard, something many Athens could not understand.

Whispers. The whispers, many of the underground had come to learn, was a result of being infected by the hanabake spores. The spores would create hallucinations that would affect several regions in the brain of sentient animals. Worshipers, believers, would tell you otherwise. The voices were the collective will of kami, the collective faith of his followers and the connection many humans had since lost to nature.

Tamao lay with her chest on the coast and her tail in the water. Beside her sat Kyouko in her underwear. She was soaked head to toe and was drying in he summer heat. She sighed. Her wet, black hair stuck to random spots on her cheek and forehead. Tamao had her elbow dug into the sand. Her cheek rested in her cupped hand. The mermaid turned her violet eyes toward the human. "You seem down dear." Kyouko blinked and pushed her hair from her face.

They sat within view of the bound Hokuto, the madman continued to ramble on. Kyouko smiled and shook her head, but lowered her eyes to her lap. "Hn... I suppose, by now, I had hoped to be able to meet with Tsukune, but it seems its one obstacle after another." The girl looked up and stared off. "Eden." She affirmed. "No man is allowed to step foot on it, even me?" She worried.

"Sa..." The mermaid sighed and rested her face in both her hands. Her tail splashed a bit in the water behind her. "Who knows. They don't try and enter Eden, but I suppose they're afraid." Tamao curiously noted. Kyouko blinked and looked over to her.

"Afraid? Of Tsukune?" She chuckled at the preposterous thought. Tamao raised a dark brow and looked over to Kyouko.

"Madness to you, one who is his flesh and blood, but do not be misguided. To us he is a kami. Of course we fear angering him." Tamao smiled and looked off. Kyouko turned to look away and laughed softly.

"I get ya." Kyouko dusted sand from her knees. "After all I'm blood right? Still..." She rubbed her head and giggled. "What should I say to him?"

"Suki~" Tamao crooned. Kyouko jumped and looked over to the grinning mermaid. "Daaai suki." She chuckled. Kyouko blushed and turned away.

"Mou Tamao-chan, teasing has its limits!" Her reaction only caused the mermaid to laugh out loud. Kyouko hugged her legs to her chest and sighed softly. She smiled and giggled to herself. The mermaid leader looked over to her human companion. "I was just thinking, is our Eden, the same as the Eden others speak of? Or is it just a heartfelt wish after all the bad things that happened?" Tamao tiled her head and blinked at the young woman. Kyouko leaned back and turned her full attention to the sky. "Compared to now, I almost find myself believing it was just a passing nightmare. My obasan got so sick that ojisan had to move her. Thanks to Gin they're safe now, but ojisan is still pretty sick. They suffered so much after they had sent Tsukki to school. They thought they had lost their only son."

"But they did not," Tamao assured. "Instead their son somehow obtained the powers of kami and became a Kaou." Kyouko looked to the mermaiden in question. Tamao nodded and pulled herself onto the beach. "I suppose there are many stories. One is the Kaou's origin. It was only sometime later that he was seen."

"Really? So... it's possible he wasn't the cause of the hanabake hurting everyone?" This idea excited Kyouko. Perhaps it wasn't really his fault after all!

"Some say he appeared when things got their worst and helped people suffering through their hardships. Word slowly got around with everything in shambles, and no news from overseas, though we now know things were not as bad there because the first evil hanabake was born here, some say it was asleep underground and because Fairy Tale tore up the earth they awoke and attacked everyone in their path."

"Where are the hanabake from?" Kyouko asked.

"No one knows." The mermaid laid herself out in the sand to sun to soak up the warmth of the soft bed of earth. "There are many thoughts about it, but they were evil and continued their evil until the ouhana appeared, at least that was what they had called him. '_A man that walks with the flowers keeps their deadly attacks at bay.'_ Many said, so it was assumed he was the leader of the flowers so everyone called him the great, leader of the flowers." In truth they knew nothing else to call him because he seemed able to hold command over the plants where no one else had been able to. The people, at first, committed to the idea he was the root of the evil, but they soon learned, thanks to his deeds, he was the good that had come to save them from the perilous jaws of the evil which slowly consumed the world.

"The Kaou began to travel and save those in need. Wherever he had visited the waters would no longer make people sick and food would grow in poisoned soil. The Athens would have us believe that we merely grew used to the hanabake's presence, something about their seeds making us sick, but they are still around, yet we are no longer sick. This they cannot explain, perhaps will not." Tamao sounded offended by the idea.

"So do you think Tsukki maybe found a way to counteract the bad pollen? Like with medicine in the food or water?" Kyouko wondered. Tsukune was never very clever, but he was someone who would share something helpful once it was found.

Tamao was not really sure, nor could she truthfully admit she lacked questions. The mermaid smiled. "When you see him, why not ask?" The mermaid offered.

Kyouko nodded. "When I see him, Ima slug him good, for worrying me." She pulled up her arm and laughed. "But we can't just leave this as it is. We gotta help out. I'm sure, even though Tsukki might be trying, he can't be forced to do everything alone. Even kami needs help!"

Tamao laughed at her dear friend. She could not deny the girl, for she seemed to have the same, gentle and merciful heart kami had. Perhaps she was the prophet they all sought, that link to kami's heart. This false prophet did nothing more but add to the weight of their sins.

**o*o*o*o*o*o*o*o*o**

**(A/N: ...er during editing forgot to mark it beta'd, so no longer sure if it has been, if it was, Beta'd by GrrDraxin, if not I done goof'd)**


	3. A Day in Paradise

**Chapter 3: A Day in Paradise**

The King of Flowers, who has come to be represented by the Peony, was a symbol for the kami's bravery. He had come from the heavens and touched his sick people, sparing them the agony of this plague wrought upon them by man's greed. Little could be seen in the lush fields of paradise, save for the Hyoubake that offered pilgrims meat from their gourds. Sometimes pilgrims would catch sight of kami's angels. They were beautiful creatures that carried the form of women. They had wings which they would spread and offer to the sun. They were perfect beings and were servants to the Kaou.

Their skin was perfect, and the wings seemed to be just as part of their bodies as the grass was to their bellies. On the hill the angels would often sit, without cloth to their skin, for what being of divinity needed such earthly possessions to hide the perfection kami had molded them into? The bones of the wings curled like fingers and were stretched with flesh which allowed them to soar in the skies to keep an eye on kami's followers, this is what they believed. The blue-haired angel's wings were a deep purple, the flesh a lighter shade. She had a tail that swayed with deep emotion. The one that stood strong with silver hair, which matched the moonlight of her perfectly pale skin, had black flesh upon her wings, and the membrane was a deep, blood red, which matched her eyes. The worshipers believed they represented life and death.

The blood red wings represented the sight of birth, as a child fell from its mothers womb, covered in the life giving fluid. The purple wings of the smaller angel, to the worshippers, represented death. Death was not an uncommon sight. Corpses unable to find refuge underground, for they lay untouched by followers. They believe sin resided in a hanabake-slain corpse, are often left to rot and fester and return to the earth to be born anew as a hanabake, to teach others between right and wrong. Corpses often turned a sickening purple before they were finally buried by roving hanabake or eaten by the Ravens of the mistress' flock. There was one other angel among the flock. She was small, white, and silent. Believers held her in greatest regard. The snow-white angel was wingless and represented the peace that life should hold. Unlike her sisters, the white angel is bound to the earth, much like they, and is unable to reach the heavens. She sleeps in the shade, beneath the watchful eye of kami, at peace. It was how they all should live.

The infant boy had grown incredibly so, but he was the child of a kami. Though he could not walk on his own, Akuma was soft spoken and attentive to the angels. The angels loved the child, and there were many rumors spread that if parents did not care for their children, the angels would spirt them away back to heaven, for they would forever be loved there. Kami's paradise was peaceful, and those faithful were rewarded with his protection and health offered by the Hyoubake guardians. The land was fiercely guarded by the believers. They fought off any Athens who dared step into the territory of Kamakura. It was sacred, holy land.

The kami lay with his Lady, Mistress, and mother to his only son and link to the future. The grass was warm, and their love for one another, and need, was still desperate and heated. Ruby lay on her side and dug her fingers into the dirt and grass as she felt Tsukune's fingers bore into the meat of her thigh. It was an intoxicating feeling that made her alive. She lay facing away from Tsukune and shuttered as she felt his breathe strike at her sensitive ear and stiffened when his chest pressed to her back. He wore but his white slacks and a white, unbuttoned, collared shirt. The couple lay upon his precious cloak as they professed their physical love to one another. Tsukune had his arm hooked under the witch's leg and forced it up and parted it from her other leg. She had not been ready to move in such an angle and cried out at the pain, but it allowed her to feel her nerves fire off; they were so delicate now.

He had not waited, and clamped down his flat teeth against the red cartilage of her ear. He was always rough, but it was to her wishes. She whimpered when she felt the fingers of his other, free hand, push into her roughly. His left arm was tucked under her side and gave room for his hand to snake in front of her hiked up skirt. He had torn her underwear down, the already ragged lace covering was now shredded. His finger pressed and dug against the edges until he was satisfied with his achievement. He pushed into her with no warming and the witch cried out in ecstasy. She bit down on her lip and tried to be reserved, but feeling her nerve-endings on fire like this sent her body into the depths of hell and cause her to teeter upon the edge of heaven. She knew not up from down, nor did she recall her left from her right as her lover drove into her with commanding strength.

"Tsukune..." Her voice painfully lodged itself in her throat. Everytime Tsukune drove into her it was like a match grating against its flint board. The friction and burning sensation coursed a chemical feeling through her body. It was indescribable. Though his nails dug painfully into her sensitive flesh, it felt good. It was not that she _liked_ the pain. Given the torture her body endured at the hands of her former master, pain was not something she enjoyed. What she did enjoy was the knowledge that she was cared for. The _security_ of his hands all over her, the tangible knowledge that he was there, and it was no dream. Sometimes she thought herself privy to insanity.

Oft she would awaken to her own screams. A cold sweat racing down her nude breasts which were still tender from her lover's treatments. She was lulled to sleep by his touch so that she may wake and know she is still alive. She needed her heart to beat violently in her chest. It was her only affirmation she was not yet rotting beneath the cold ground.

The witch squeezed her eyes closed as her body tensed. "Ah!" She shook her head. It was too soon. She was not yet ready. The ebony-haired beauty turned her eyes to peer over her shoulder at her lover. "Please...n-not yet." She gasped when his forehead pressed against hers. The sticky sweat caught wayward blades of grass. He stopped. Tsukune abruptly stopped. It was far worse than continuing at the pace he was. She felt as if she would perhaps be torn in two, but now she was numb. "No..." She exhaled.

Tsukune smiled and kissed her lips as he pulled her legs further apart. She whined out at the feeling of her muscles stretching. The sparks settled in her core and served only to further rouse her as she lay safe in her lover's arms. "You should make up your mind. Here, how about …." He smiled and pulled from the warmth. Ruby opened her mouth to protest, until Tsukune found his way elsewhere. The witch froze, her voice torn from her. Her body fell limp in his hold and she could no longer hold herself. With a strangled cry the tension released, but this did not stop Tsukune and he continued to assault her body with untold pleasure.

Upon the warm, grassy hills lay the angels. The blue-haired Angel of Death lay with the infant Akuma on her naked stomach. The child, who was yet weened, suckled upon the demon, though it held no milk for him. The teat was but comfort to him and to comfort the babe was the death angel's highest priority. The snow-white Angel of Existence lay curled under the shade of Karasuuri. The Angel of Life watched her master and his mistress. Her wings lay furled out, capturing the sun to supply her body with the necessary energy to be active. She watched, studied. She would soon fill her seeds with her master's essence, but she also wanted to please him and make him smile as the mistress did. Though the silver-haired angel wanted nothing to do with the mistress, she knew well how to make her master smile. She too wanted him to smile, though she was unsure _why..._

**o*o*o*o*o*o*o*o*o**

**(A/N: Beta'd by GrrDraxin)**


	4. Beast That Crawl Upon Their Belly

**Chapter 4: Beast That Crawl Upon Their Belly**

Much of the world was still in ruin from the hanabake which turned the ecosystem on its head. Prey was wiped out. Along the prey then the predators. Food became scarce. Humans were forced to leave their homes. Many of the spirit, daemon and aspects of nature they had since lost, were slowly returning and became the reason many of them barely survived. Small tribes worshipped the workings of nature, and others feared it. Hokkaido was one of many areas sealed by constant snowfall. For many the places with no grass, no hanabake, was a true hell, for those who were able to survive, was due to the food produced by the demon plants, and the beasts that were driven by hunger: at bay. Many have suffered, many more have died. They say when you look upon the snowy fields of the wastes around the northern hemisphere, you are said to see the spirits of the dead. Many who have suffered fates at the hands of the frozen winter. Scores of corpses lay frozen under the abyss of ice.

Darkness. The wastes, each one, held nothing but darkness. The clouds there were thick, and unlike the new growth, no sun bathed that hellhole. For many it was a blessing. Kami and his hanabake were something to be feared, not praised, or worshipped. They were devils, and fed on the souls of the helpless. Athens have tried, many times, to enlist these people into their fight against this blue angel, but none from the wastes would lend their strength. '_You do not fight a devil head on, you wait until it sleeps soundly on its bed of bones, thereafter you slit it's throat.'_

"_Are you awake?"_ A voice had called from that darkness. "_It moves, yet you do not open your eyes?" _Would that chase off such a darkness? Merely opening ones eyes did not face him upon the truth. They tried. Anything to rid them of this darkness, was worth at least one – try. It was a struggle, but they were able to peel their dried eyes open. The light was dim, but there was no darkness, but the pain. "_Don't struggle. Try a bit harder."_ The voice was cold, but encouraging. It was no time to be weak and helpless.

Weak, pained eyes strained against the darkness. When focused the eyes were upon the visage of a ghost. Pure white skin reflected the moon light. Her eyes took a shine, a sparkle that was like crystal, ice.

"Where am I?" They asked, but the woman standing over her laughed. It was a dark laugh, that touched the spine like a solid cube of ice. The woman was draped in a beautiful pale, lilac kimono. Her hair was of similar color and tied up and away from her face.

"One would think the question would be, _how am I alive?_" The figure asked in a condescending tone. They looked around, weak, in pain, but indeed: alive. Their eyes scanned the room. It was dark, and clearly a wooded structure. Japanese made. Ikebana sat in a vase in the corner. "Do you remember your name?" The woman asked. That was a silly question, they thought, but even so they could not answer.

Certainly they knew their name, but this bitter cold that seemed to seep from, no not even that: it was like being outside with no protection form that bitter and threatening cold. That was her name! She inhaled at the shock of the memory. She recalled it all. Death! She was upon his door. She saw him hovering above her. A black cloak, surrounded by demons that took the shape of those they loved. "Shuzen...Akuha..." She wheezed from the disuse of her throat. How long had it been? Hours? Days?

The woman pressed her pale finger to her lip and smirked at the obvious question glittering in her amethyst eyes. "Months my dear. We found you several months ago." She chuckled _We?_ "You and the other one... on the verge of death. I'm surprised _you_ made it." She raised a brow.

"_Kokoa._" She gasped. The snide, crystal-eyed woman cast the beautiful orbs to the ground. She shook her head as she knew the girl must heave meant the other one. The woman crossed her arms over her front-tied obi which was a shade of ice blue.

"She was disemboweled by the devil's sentries, and I must apologize. It was, in a way, my fault. I honestly wish to see the end of this, but what can one do to raise a hand against the one you love?" Akuha looked up to the woman. "My name is Shirayuki Tsurara. The beast, that gored the other, was once my daughter." Akuha was stunned. So she was not the only one to suffer? "Come, dress." The woman tossed her a fresh kimono. "We'll talk while you eat, and gather your strength."

Akuha dressed. Her heart heavy with the news. She failed to protect yet another sister. She sat with the woman, who gave the name Tsurara. She explained, in detail, the troubles of the foul beasts which crawl upon their bellies. The hanabake's gait Is similar to that of a lizard. A sauntering, weaving motion with legs that held them close to the ground and gave them a low center of gravity. They had found Akuha and Kokoa near death. The dark-haired vampire struggled for breathe and the only thing that kept her from suffering was the cold that greatly eased her bleeding which allowed her healing abilities to progress more smoothly.

This had not been the case for the other girl, Kokoa, Akuha insisted. Her belly had be gored. Vital organs necessary for pumping the blood vital for regenerative abilities had been eviscerated. "She was my daughter, a long time ago." Tsurara felt the guilt. She had pushed her to take the man she had thought was right for her mate. She had pushed her harder and harder every day until. She watched. She watched helplessly as those _serpents_ killed her baby, and defiled her. Afterwards they took her body and buried it in her home, but that was when the devil's influence reached their once safe sanctuary. Hanabake cannot withstand the cold, but what was born from _her_, what rose out of the ice-cold soil was a hanabake they had never before encountered. Now these ice dwelling flower demons overrun Hokkaido, and will eventually spread to the other Wastes.

They were not safe. They had to kill this kami, this Kaou, before his power further grew. If he could kill vampires, and enslave the world in a short two years, than what did it mean to seal themselves for over a thousand years in solitude? Today the Shirayuki tribe, and other Ice-daemon from other Wastes around the world, have doubled in what was near extinction for them. The humans that were driven into their territory were given safe haven. They mated with these daemon, spirits and fiends to survive. More were born, stronger. If hey wished to keep their renewed place in this world, they had to eliminate the Kaou before the frost frozen hanabake were able to further adapt and become powerful killing machines, rather than the belly crawling scavengers which fed off frozen corpses, lost to the blizzard.

**o*o*o*o*o*o*o*o*o**

**(A/N: Blue Angel= Means Devil, Beta'd by GrrDraxin)**


	5. Then He Created Man

**Chapter 5: Then He Created Man**

In the garden, this Eden, lay the Kaou. So many stories circled around him. His angels lay at his side. "Your kisses are so sweet, may I have another?" Came the gentle words of the Angel whom represented death.

A joyous cheer responded in glee, "Okay!" The sounds of giggling were heard as they slept in the warm summer sun. The grasses had grown and the hustle and bustle of life was apparent as all walks of life worked their daily chores. Before them slept angels that protected them from the dark dangers of the world around them. Kurumu deeply cared for Akuma. She favored him above even their dear master, as he was born from master, and was even greater.

The youngest of the Angels, she who represented New Life, lay beside the grand witch, the lover and bearer of the Kaou's child. The Angel of New Life, called Mizore by her sisters, was young. She looked about the same age Moka and Kurumu had when they were reborn from their hanabake skin. Ruby preferred them small like this, harmless. She knew better though. These creatures would never be harmless. She had not yet learned what powers Mizore had, but if they were anything as frightening as the twins' Dream Eye, than she would have more to fear, come her maturity.

She would hope to bring happiness to Tsukune, and bare him another child, but deep down she craved the very opposite. She could not birth a child into such a sorry state as the world was in. It was imperfect. Tsukune dreamed of a Utopia that could not happen. So long as others, that were not kindhearted like him, continued to run things, fighting would always be. Death would always be cruel, and life hard.

People suffered terribly. Change was hard. It had come like a storm and filled their lives with dread. How did it happen? Why? Had they brought it upon themselves for not believing in the gods? They often thought it was a punishment, but now they see it as a blessing.

Moka lay with her head in the Kaou's lap. Many say she was the favored, and the most dangerous of the Angels. She guarded life with a vengeance. Those who disobeyed the Kaou's sanctions of peace, were brutally maimed and some were so far beyond saving, they were killed and fed to the former prophet. Tsukune knew not their activities and none dared question the punishment the Angels wrought upon sinners. She lay there and allowed herself to nod off at the feeling of his fingers in her hair. She would protect her master and her seed for until his natural cycle took him, or otherwise. His needless worry when it came to killing an enemy was something she could not understand, but would obey if it did not put his life in danger.

But sometimes examples needed to be made, to ensure none questioned her master's power. She decided to roll a bit so she could entice her master. It was her breeding season. She was now fully mature and craved seed from the strongest specimen, which in her eyes, was her master. Then came the scream. Tsukune turned his head up to the sound. Moka narrowed her ruby eyes and hissed in her throat. She sneered when Tsukune pet her head, at least at first, but relished in the touch, much like a dog would be giddy to feel the hand of his master praising him. Kurumu sat up and held little Akuma close to her naked body. Akuma was less attentive and much preferred to suckle the demon's milkless teat. Mizore stirred slightly. The pale-faced angel was curled up beside the witch and preferred the lack of attention the witch offered as the less body heat, the more comfortable she was.

Ruby stood, and Mizore yawned and turned her back to the situation. The tiny angel returned to her nap. "Tsukune..." Ruby worried. It had been getting worse and worse as the Athens would try more often to seize their territory, but the faithful would forcefully deter them. This often erupted in open fire from the weapon totting Athens and the springing of macabre spear and pit traps from the worshippers. Corpses often filled the air with a stench if the hanabake did not clean up soon enough. "W-what was that?" She hoped it wasn't the Athens again. She was not sure if she could handle seeing Tsukune hurt again. They were after his head.

_He was not innocent as he seemed. The Kaou was a loving kami, but he commanded the hanabake with his will for peace. There existed no peace, so long as there was life. Wether he knew it or not, he consumed every soul he touched, and commanded every life. In that sense he was a god. He smote the wicked with his will, and he gave believers the strength and faith to carry on in their dreadful and weighted lives. Man had fallen to nearly nothing, but the Kaou appeared to a single woman. She died, and was named a saint by the people. Saint Marin was considered the first saved, by all believers. She was the patron saint of orphans. Word had spread on how she had taken in a young youkai and raised her like a daughter. Her daughter went on and bore many young. These children formed a church that worships the matron saint._ The church is known as the Sirenum Scopuli and is known for the immaculate chorus, who are comprised of the descendents of Saint Marin's daughter.

_Humans, under the touch of the Kaou, were reborn. In his name, we all pray._

The sheet of paper rustled under the writer's grip as it was gently picked up. Kyouko looked down to her uncle, who shakily held his pen in his still practicing hand. His good hand had been taken from him by, what he has come to believe, a servant of the devil. Kyouko had taken her aunt and uncle to a safe place. It was a small village that lay under the ruins of Kamakura. They were closest to the kami, but she could not go to him like she planned. She had to care for her aunt and uncle, until they were well. Tamao had given her a gourd from the Hyoubake. They were very sick, mostly from being trudged around in such filthy conditions as Hokuto had let their area become. When they were well, she would go to Tsukune, and demand an answer.

_Why was he hiding?_

"This is really good ojisan. You're getting better at writing with that hand." Kyouko and her second family lived together in small, weakly home constructed for them by the villagers. They were worried and had heard that they were victims to Hokuto's turn from kami. She walked across the small dining room, that served as their bedroom. Kasumi, Tsukune's mother, was sat up in her futon staring at the small potted plant which held a Hyoubake baby. It was a gift from kami. At least that was what Kouji, Tsukune's father, had said. Kasumi had found the seed outside in he mud and planted it. She named the flower Tsukune.

Kasumi had not been right since everything began. Kyouko set the finished paper with the others Kouji has been writing. She walked over to her aunt as she pulled a raggedy red jean jacket over her white tee. "I'm heading out obasan. I gotta go help the chief. Heard there were some foreigners from the south coming. They lost one of their servants and are worried about her." Kasumi smiled and looked up to Kyouko. She nodded her head and looked back to 'Tsukune'. Kyouko nodded. "Bye oji, oba...Tsu." She waved and slipped her boots on as she hurried out the doorframe, which was covered over by a flap of mismatched fabric sewn together.

Tsukune walked toward the edge of his eden. His bare feet pressed against the springy grasses that surrounded his lush paradise. When those that prayed at the edge of this private garden saw their kami's approach, they immediately bowed their heads and turned their heathen eyes to the ground. Moka followed behind her master, to keep him guarded. The nude angel reluctantly took what would, by former standards, a sleeping shirt, and pulled it over her head. It was thin, but covered enough for the conservative witch. The white, cotton cloth was daintily held up by her shoulders with spaghetti straps and only went halfway down her thighs. She allowed her wings to fully retract back into her flesh. She hurried ahead until she could stay by her master in an easy stride.

Together the pair would cross the threshold of young trees, mere saplings, that have grown to gargantuan fortune thanks to Karasuuri. Tsukune was not prepared for what he saw. His worshippers were appalled by their inability and begged the Kaou for help, to protect the one being brutalized by the foreigner. Kurumu sat with Ruby and pet her baby sister gingerly. The pale-skinned demon did not move from her curled position and soundly slept, but she did crack open one of her aurora colored eyes and gazed up to the witch, whom she felt closer to than her sisters or kami.

Indeed she loved master, and felt as if a great accomplishment had been achieved with her just being able to be with him, see him, hear him, but it was the witch who watered her, who brought her food. She watched as the witch, the master's lady, nursed her child, master's child. Kurumu looked up to Ruby with delight. "Don't worry, master will be well. I will protect you and Akuma and Mizore, okay?" Kurumu beamed and wagged her spade-tipped tail.

Ruby smiled and petted Kurumu's head. The demon-girl affectionately nuzzled into the hand.

**o*o*o*o*o*o*o*o*o**

**(A/N: Sirenum scopuli is the ancient island siren originate from. Beta'd by GrrDraxin.)**


	6. Let He With Sin Cast the Stone

**Chapter 6: Let He With Sin Cast the Stone**

Kyouko arrived at the Chief's house. The chief, as she called him, was a Japanese born youkai, but excelled in speaking English. His name was Maki and he often communicated with the mainlands to the east as he spoke their native tongue well. He used to help at the publishing company for Kuyou, but had made it out of the fire alive with some of the others who oft dotted on their precious firespitter. He helped out in the schoolhouse and wrote books for the children, even translated chronicles from the east mainland of the Americas.

"Chief!" Kyouko called as she hurried into his office, which was nothing more than some measly gathered scrap metal that was soldered together by hanabake stomach acid. He wore a pair of sunglasses over his eyes, for he could not turn his baby blues to anyone without accidentally turning them to stone. Maki was seated on his stool, transcribing some papers. He looked up with glee.

"Firespit! You're here! _Excellent!_" His last word was stressed in english. It was like a catchphrase for the older youkai. Kyouko giggled and gave a little salute. "Has your uncle finished his writing?"

Kyouko shook her head. "Nah, he's still having trouble with his bad hand." She held her own hand up in unconscious explanation. "What did you call it again? What you're doin' with ojisan's writings?" She tilted her head as she walked over to his desk to look over his work. Maki did not mind, but she could barely read it. English wasn't her strong suit.

"Ah!" He stood and picked up the manuscript he was slowly compiling from Kouji's writings. "A _Bible!_" He stressed in english. "_Bible_ is a book written of people's experiences with kami! It is quite _excellent!_ I am so glad your uncle writes these! I have many more from the _Amerikas_ and some are coming in from China!" He was so excited he started to dance around and snap his fingers. Kykouko giggled and nodded.

"Yeah, but I'm here about the foreigner chief. Tamao said they've been causing trouble." She reminded him. The youkai froze mid-step and settled, quickly, back onto his stool.

"_Excellent_ memory firespitter! This is true! We thought they perhaps needed help, but it seems this servant of their's is unwilling! It was not _excellent_." He knitted his fingers together and settled his chin on the nest of digits, his elbow rested on the desk. His sunglasses seemed to glimmer even in the dead of night. "We went to their place of stay while visiting, but the Suisen alerted us of something ill!" His voice shifted an octave as he rose to his feet. He furrowed his brows. "It seems they abuse their wards. The servant's mother was found beaten and raped in the villa." He explained as his demeanor dropped slightly. He brushed his fingers along his chin.

Kyouko held her hands to her mouth. "T-that's horrible...W-why?" She shook her head. Was such violence still, _necessary?_

"These are bad youkai!" Maki's mood went up again and he snapped his finger. He pointed it at Kyouko. "Word has circled you are kami's bloodkin!" Kyouko rolled her eyes. Maki knew, he and the others at the newspaper knew well how Hokuto came after her, them, because of it. The youkai laughed and patted her head. His hand settled, lovingly, on her cheek. He frowned. "She died. We found a message from her child that she wants her mother buried properly. Will you give the last rites? It would be _excellent._"

Kyouko furrowed her brows at Maki's request. It was not that she was unused to performing last rites. "The servant...what happened, where are they?" She worried. Maki laughed.

"A true bloodkin to kami, worried about the weak! _Excellent_!" He patted his hands on her shoulder. "Twas a magical message left behind. It said they would seek out kami to take revenge on the fiend who harmed their mother." Kyouko raised a brow. So casually? Maki's warm smile relaxed her strained, thoughtful features. "Like kami, as I said, firespitter. He cares for the weak. I pray kami finds them before these foreigners." He smirked. "I already gave the other two the _blink_, but the leader escaped, after that servant." Maki could cast others to stone with but a dashing gaze. The two foreigners, which were youkai from the south, were petrified and left as a reminder to other foreigners that they were in the heart of kami's wrath and mercy in Kamakura.

Tsukune was horrified by the sight. Moka perked up to his shift in mood. He was displeased? Her brows twisted up in concern, but that concern twisted down into a scowl which dripped with murderous intent. How dare anyone fill her master with malcontent? She pulled her lips back over her fangs and growled in her throat. A massive lizard man stood over a small, battered girl. The lizardman's boot was forced into the girls back. She was pressed onto the floor and struggled to move. The girl looked no older than her early teens. Her face painfully scraped against the broken slabs of concrete that littered the streets, which were overgrown with vines.

"Ssstay way!" He hissed out at the humans and youkai that lived around the territory. He gripped a steel pipe in his hands and violently swung it about. With every twist of his torso his boot dug deeper against the girl's back. The worshippers knew not what to do to save the girl. She looked fragile. Her naked arms were riddled with deep cuts and her face covered in bruises. Her clothing was torn and metal ferrous rods dangerously dug against her sides, as the rods were twisted out of their concrete home.

The girl peeled open her eyes. They were lost in despair, but when she saw the Kaou, hope rekindled. She stretched out her little fingers. _Help..._ She whined weakly, but coughed when the lizardman put more pressure on her back. "Bassstards! She's my ssslave and I will do with her what I pleasssse!" He opened his fang filled jaws and hissed. The followers could not believe the foreigner. How dare he behave like this on kami's soil. The lizardman blinked and looked up. He felt killing intent. His eyes met with Tsukune's.

**o*o*o*o*o*o*o*o*o**

**(A/N: Beta'd by GrrDraxin)**


	7. The Flood of God's Wrath

**Chapter 7: The Flood of God's Wrath**

The young man's hands trembled. His face never changed in expression as his rage petered over the edge. That face, that helpless expression. It was the same face, each one of them made before they slipped through his fingers. The memories of each of their deaths, and the horrid screams that, to this day, wrecked his dreams with terror. They were unbearable. Moka furrowed her brows at her master's distress. He stilled his body. The sound of the lizard talking was soon buried by his overflow of emotions. The lizard had been looking for Eden. He heard that there was a fruit here that held unimaginable powers. The scale-covered beast sought the fruit for himself. With it he was assured power. His servants were to steal for him a sample of this delight, but the Kaou was a deity among witch kind, for one of their own had been chosen as his mate and because of him they were able to remain hidden from the terrors of the fallen corporation of Fairy Tale.

His older female servant was a witch. She had come to work for the lizardman because her home had been overrun with Churippu. They were rather invasive and until her home could be cleared out she boarded with the local tribe of Lizardmen. Wanibuchi Tadachi, or Buchi was he was known by, took a keen interest in the elder witch and her younger daughter. The witch's husband had died during the escape of Kamakura, protecting his wife and daughter. Buchi used this and lulled the witch into a false sense of security around him. It began as harmless flirting, and passing hints, but when the elder witch refused his more invasive advances after she learned he only wished to use them to find the fruit and satisfy his own primal cravings, he was not to take _no_ for an answer. Witches knew where the Garden was, and were ensured safe passage as a chosen peoples.

They had come to Kamakura, the trip was disguised as a business endeavor with a man named 'Excellent' Maki, but the elder witch, Fujiko, found out his plan. She refused to aide his dark deed. Buchi was infuriated and forced the elder witch to the ground and raped her. He was assured he could use the girl to find a way into Eden as she was sound asleep down the hall in her room, but little did Buchi realize at the time the girl had been watching. Their loud arguing had woken her. The girl fled.

Buchi hissed in his throat. "W-what are you doing?" The Kaou slowly approached. The worshippers parted as he stepped toward the lizardman. Moka took even stride behind her lord. Buchi quickly came to the realization that _this_ was the kami. _This?_ Ha! He smelled like a human that bathed in flowers! Kaou, eh? "Ssstay back!" The crowds of human and youkai darkly murmured. They were assured he would be punished for his abuse of another's life. _By kami's will_. They bade. Tck, what could a human do?

Tsukune motioned his hand, his head held high and his once gentle and lucid eyes, were blank of any emotion. When his hand settled back on his side growls were heard rolling in from the surrounding darkness. One by one massive Suisen padded out with their golden manes of petals spread open and their tails violently lashed behind them. The Suisen hissed and growled as fiercely as a big cat. Tsukune continued to walk forward until he was but a few steps from Buchi, who now trembled in fear. Such command he had over them.

But he would not lose, he was still a weakling. He had flesh, he bled as anything else! He was an Athens, he did not believe in the rubbish the Believers blindly followed. When he died he _rotted_ in the ground. He had no higher purpose, so had to go out and fend for _himself_ and his tribe. They could not depend on an _idea_ to protect them!

But Buchi did not understand the power faith had. It could cure a sick man, and return him from the brink of death. Belief could drive a man to save another at the cost of his life, because he knows that he would be rewarded in heaven, by reducing the bad karma he incurred sinning in life. Faith drove a woman to fend off powerful enemies, because she _felt_ and had believed her child did not die in that fire. In their belief in kami, sickness that was once rampant and spread because of man's greed, they were healed and now understand the reason they suffer. They are no longer afraid.

Buchi was not afraid. Buchi believed in himself and his own power. He charged the Kaou. "Don't look down on meee!" Buchi came at Tsukune and swung the metal pipe. With a clatter and bang the pipe crashed to the floor and rolled aimlessly until it came to a stop. Buchi stood there with his empty claws over his head. He was face to face with the Kaou. The look in that man's eye. The Kaou was no human... those were the eyes of a deity. They were fierce, merciless, but at the same time they held a father's almost demonic need to protect his young, or anything considered his future. He was a god. He was admired. He was influential and idolized as a divine figure.

But, he could not believe. Where was this kami when his tribe was wiped out by the hanabake? Tribes from other parts of the country, other islands, gathered together to rebuild what few were left. Lizardmen were very strong against the influence of the pollen of early hanabake, so were more considered enemies, than possible puppets. Where was kami when he watched his kins men die of starvation, when their homes were burned and sacked by the desperate, the insane?

Buchi exhaled and winced a bit. "W-where were you, when I needed you?" Buchi wheezed and couched up a mouth full of blood. He turned his eyes down to where the silver-haired demon's arm was pierced through his torso, and extended clear out the other side. She had reformed her arm into a blade-shaped protrusion. His heart, lungs and arteries had been rend clean through. Tsukune did not blink. Blood was splattered on his face. He knelt down and gathered the girl in his arms.

He cradled her limp form. She was like a broken doll. Buchi watched as tears poured from his eyes, even though his expression never changed. It was a haunting image, and it would be the last thing he saw as he died against the demon-woman. Moka raised her leg and pressed the flat of her foot against his chest. She pushed him back to free, her now, blood covered arm. One could hear his organs and skin as it sliced along the sharp edge of her changed arm. When she recovered her limb it changed back. People were easily reminded why she was the Angel of life, for she protected it so fiercely.

"Kami, save the girl, please!" The worshippers called as they held out their hyoubake fruits. The fruits were rare gift from the hyoubake, who slowly produced them. Moka turned to follow Tsukune and took the offered fruit, as they were presents for her master, and as they should be for these creatures knew they place. The one behind her, would never learn it... the Suisen saw their chance, and were given permission by Moka's turned back to lunge the corpse of the lizardman and tore it apart. Tsukune carried the girl back through the threshold where Ruby stood with Akuma in her arms.

"Tsukune...w..who..?" Her heart leapt in her chest when his eyes turned to him. He was in so much pain. "Kurumu-chan, take Akuma." She handed her child off and motioned to Tsukune. The witch was careful so she would not overstep her bounds, but the girl was in dire need of medical attention. Ruby carefully transferred the girl from Tsukune's arms to hers. Tsukune caught his own breathe. It was as if he would _lose them again_, were he to allow the girl to be free of his presence. "Come on Tsukune...help me dress her wounds." The witch offered. Tsukune nodded and followed his lover.

Kurumu's happiness was shattered when Moka moved in and took Akuma and handed off the hyoubake fruits. Kurumu pouted, but knew she had to prepare something, as she was a bit better than her twin at making food edible for human and youkai palates. Demon plants weren't all that picky: if it was meat, it was edible. Moka followed her twin, Akuma in arm. Mizore perked up and sat up. Everyone was all moving around... The reborn snow flower looked about ten years of age, but she was only a few months grown. She pushed to her feet. She wore a white dress similar to that the Moka and Kurumu wore when they were young. Ruby had sewn it for her. Kurumu went to where they prepared food, an open area with tools Ruby often used to cook or clean and the blue-haired demon often studiously watched so she would be prepared to care for her master and little master.

Mizore reached up, as the counter, of make shift and gathered objects, they used to prepare food was too high for her. Karasuuri moved her roots to scoop up the white flower so she sat at an equal measure to the counter. Moka went to sit and the roots of her older sister moved accordingly. Kurumu began preparing the meat of the gourds. "Neh, Moka?" The smaller twin piped up. Mizore stared at Akuma curiously as the babe nuzzled his face into Moka's breasts looking to suckle. He was yet weened, and being the obedient beast she was she took care to push a breast from her dress so he could stop fussing and moving so much.

Moka raised a brow and looked to Kurumu, as she cracked open the gourds. "When will Kuma-tan be old enough to breed?" She seemed saddened by the thought. Though he was older than they, he was not fully matured, if at all. Moka looked over to Mizore who seemed to be silently enthralled by the babe.

"Don't worry Kurumu, Tsukune will give us pollen for our seeds." She knew her twin was desperate, she was too. It was their season to seed and if they did not soon it would be too late. "When master's guest is well, we will breed with him, okay?" She assured. Kurumu sighed and nodded. She supposed they had to be patient, but the damned Athens were getting too close. Moka nodded. The underground was patrolled by Burubs, small hanabake that slept underground and fed by sprouting their flowered tails aboveground to synthesis. The Athens tunnels drew too close to Eden.

Moka looked up to Karasuuri. "Uri-chan," Moka called. "Bury their scouts, make a point we are not to be trifled with." With her command her older sister stirred and a deep bellowing roar rumbled across the land in a deep intra-sound that Burubs could pick up underground.

**o*o*o*o*o*o*o*o*o*o**

**(A/N: Intra-sound: low frequency sound waves Elephants use to communicate with and the frequency emitted by earthquakes. Beta'd by GrrDraxin.)**


	8. All the Beasts of the Land

**Chapter 8: All the Beasts of the Land**

Shuzen, Miyabi and Kahlua rode the Athens' underground train systems to their destination: Kagoshima in the Kyushu region. Kagoshima was at the very tip of Kyushu. Kyushu has a chain of islands that the Athens have protected from the hanabake. The islands, though not spared from the hanabake plague, were able to minimize it thanks to the dormant volcanos all over the region. Using the geothermal energy they were able to construct piping that used the heat to create "safe areas" that the hanabake could not pass. The heated pipes pumped the scolding water through spigots which burned and kept the demon plants at bay. Many hanabake were sensitive to not only changes of heat, but carbon. The carbon dioxide released by volcanos was far too rich and often sent the hanabake into fits of hyperventilation, which made them vulnerable and easy to attack.

The train ride was long and took several hours. They had left earlier that day after making sure _she_ would be prepared for their arrival. Kahlua sat beside Miyabi. Normally the vampire was very affectionate toward the male. Miyabi sat with his arms leaned over the back of the seat and an unlit cigarette in his mouth. He looked over to the dark skinned vampire. Kahlua stared off through the window. The rolling _ta-thunk_ of the wheels drilled through air. Outside the window was nothing but darkness. The light of day was but a distant memory at this point.

Miyabi watched her face. His bright eyed angel had lost her shine, luster. This tragedy had taken it's toll on her. Not only had she lost Moka, but Akuha and Kokoa as well. She was heartbroken and it showed on her face and skin. The vampire shifted suddenly and reached her finger to her ear. Shuzen looked up and raised a questioning brow; it was a hopeful gaze.

"Yes?" The maid responded. "Yes." Her brows knitted as the silent conversation continued on. "Yes, understood. Thank you." She removed her finger from her ear, she brushed a thread of blonde-silvery hair behind her ear.

She turned her head to face her father and Miyabi. Years were obviously burned along the edges of her eyes. "T-the Kaou..." She bite down on her lip and clenched her fists so tightly that the silk folds of her dull, white gloves wrinkled and stretched further the holes of wear and poverty that afflicted all life. "The Kaou collapsed the second access tunnel that led into the former site of Fairy Tales 7th division in Kamakura. We don't know if there are any survivors, no one can get through, hanabake are everywhere." The young, last known, surviving member of the Shuzen clan wept openly into her hands.

Shuzen cursed and slammed his fists onto his ones. They were on the attack! "We've no more time to waste." 

Tsukune was finally able to sigh in relief. It had taken all night, and carefully feeding her slices of the prepared hyoubake meat, but the young girl was well enough once again. She slept soundly in a pile of skin rugs and pelt covers. Tsukune was exhausted with worry. He lay leaned up against a large tree. Ruby was curled up against his body. Kurumu and Moka tended to Akuma, the demon plants quite fond of their little master. The stress had worn on Tsukune, he... he slipped. He had gotten angry. How could someone hurt another weaker than they? Was it that easy to tear down all life as one saw fit?

He had to do something. If he continued to sit back and hide behind this curtain of peace, others would suffer. He had _no_ idea that such acts of cruelty still existed in this world. He had thought the hanabake had ended it all, but it seemed he would be forced to take action. He had to stop the Athens before they hurt others. He knew that the lizardman was no believer, or he would have not turned to such crime. They had to raise against the cruel accusation and lies the Athens tried to spread about them. They did not sacrifice children, of control through fear or disease. They did their best to stop, what Ruby master had started.

Ruby lay with her face against his chest. Though she appeared asleep twas merely a ruse to ensure she was allowed to keep the pleasure of being pressed against his body. It was all her fault in the end. Had she not seen him, had he not saved her that night, there was no telling what would have happened. Her master would have not been merciful and would have extinguished all life without prejudice, but Tsukune was a good person, and he had always shown her how weak she really was.

She had been unable to bear him looking at another, though he was to be killed by her master's command. It was love at first sight, perhaps for them both. Yes, she was irresponsible and brought him to her master's home, but to _her_ it was the safest place. But considering, it was perhaps that she merely felt safe in his presence. Yes, no matter how much she thought she loved her master, it was but the heartfelt emotions a daughter held for a mother. Oyakata-sama had replaced her mother. She was all she had, that manor was the only _home_ she knew. But when Tsukune had caught her in his arms. She knew there was someplace else she wished to belong.

"Tsukune..." Ruby looked up to him. He turned his russet eyes so he looked, gazed deeply into these glimmering orbs of the person he loved. She had taken him, and tried to tend to his weak body. He loved her, needed her. He could not lose her. She was all he had left. He loved Moka, and Kurumu, and cared deeply for Mizore, but they were _gone_. He has come to accept that, because when the girls were born, he knew they had forgiven him, and returned to this mortal world to make sure he repented. And he would, with Ruby at his side. "I love you..." Ruby confessed. She rarely did.

She honestly questioned it sometimes. Did she love him, or love what he did? Did it matter? Tsukune nodded. "I love you too Ruby. We'll stop this. I promise." She believed him. He was always earnest and wholehearted and would never make a promise he could not keep. She nuzzled into his chest. The young girl had peeled her eyes open and watched the pair.

So this was kami and his lover...

**o*o*o*o*o*o*o*o*o***

**(A/N:Beta'd by GrrDraxin)**


	9. Kami's Most Favored

**Chapter 9: Kami's Most Favored**

The girl's name was Yukari. She had gotten better and came to live with the kami in this personal Eden. The girl constantly asked him questions and followed him around like a lost puppy! Ruby felt a little less stressed with another witch around and one less demon plant that seemed to constantly stood as a threat to her life. She walked by Tsukune's side, Akuma in her arm. Yukari asked him questions and seemed more than eager to offer him services, be it cooking or cleaning, not that an open garden needed more cleaning than pushing away a few branches fell from nearby trees. She had learned to do many of these things at the Lizardman's home.

She would oft cry about it, the suffering her mother incurred. It wrecked Tsukune's heart with guilt for, with as much power as he had, no other should be suffering, yet outside of this Eden they did. Tsukune knelt by Yukari's side and wiped away her tears. "Don't worry." he ensured. "We will leave this place, and go out into the world to change it. Hiding here will do us no good, for our enemies will only make those we care for suffer." Of this he was sure of. Yukari was touched. He was such a good man. He was nothing like those Lizardmen said he was. He was just...

"You're everything and more mother has ever said...desu.." She began to cry. Tsukune pulled her into his arms and hugged her close. From afar Moka and Kurumu watched. Mizore was curled up under Karasuuri's shade and was inattentive. The pale-skinned snow flower peeled open her aurora eyes and looked toward her sisters who sat upon the raised root of their seemingly motionless sister tree.

Kurumu pulled her lips back over her fangs and growled in her throat. She sat in a simple white dress, her wings sat curled tightly against her back. The growl was deep, and caused her chest to vibrate. Moka leaned her head against her twin's. Kurumu's viscous snarls settled as she leaned toward Moka's touch.

"Moka..." Kurumu whined and brushed her cheek against her sister's. Moka hushed her sibling in comfort.

"I know...that sapling thinks it could just come here and take his attention like that." Moka growled and reached out to stroke her sibling's other cheek, as hers was upon her left cheek. "We won't let anyone get in our way. We're his favorite..." That sprout, that little witch. She comes into their home, and guilts master into forcing them to leave? They would prove themselves to their kami's favor.

The female demon plants hissed and plotted against the thought. They were their master's favorite.

The news spread through the underground quickly. Their defenses grew weak as Karasuuri's roots grew stronger and dug deeper into the earth. Shuzen, Kahlua and Miyabi arrived in Kogashima. The facility in which their prize was kept was an old hospital renovated for the Athens' use. It was one of the few remaining medical facilities in the world, and this one kept a powerful weapon they had hoped to use when the time was neigh. The three made their way down the halls led by a female nurse. Shuzen pulled a white cloak over his body as did the others, to keep the hospital sanitary.

Shuzen looked up to the nurse as she led them through the floors of screams and horrors. Many suffered through the treatments designed to rid the human and youkai body of the hanabake pollen, but it was a prolific parasite. The treatments were painful, and oft times deathly.

"How is she Yakumaru-sensei?" The vampire elder was indeed concerned with the awakening process. Yakumaru pushed up her round glasses onto her nose. Her white coat waved behind her with each step. She held a clipboard to her chest and used the end of her pencil to press the elevator's button.

"Well," She began, "We were able to get the generators working again." The elevator _pinged,_ to prove her point. She smiled and stepped in, motioning for Shuzen and the others to follow, and they did. The metal doors shut behind them and locked them into a small, metal box, that was barely repaired after the destruction of much of civilization. "She is resting more at ease now that we have a constant power source, but I cannot say what will come of you waking her, so I suggest you take care." With the warning given she led them to the ICU.

A massive glass window, chipped and cracked, was all that stood between them, and her. Kahlua could not follow, for she could not bear the sight. She hid her eyes. Miyabi looked up to Shuzen.

"I'll take her." He flatly said, still a bit miffed that Yakumaru confiscated his cigarette. Shuzen nodded as Miyabi led Kahlua away. Yakumaru opened the door and led Shuzen into the room. The sight from the glass window was unsettling.

A woman, with light brown, perhaps pink, hair hung from a mass of pipes, wires, catheters and tubes that kept her sleeping body alive. A metal table sat as the only support for her lower half, the rest primitively strung in, what a modern medical profession would call, unsanitary conditions, but in a time such as this it was desperation and the safest possible way to manage such a person.

Tubes were shoved down her throat, her body barely kept covered by the white gown. As more tubes disturbed and displaced the fabric around her body. Yakumaru stopped at the door, and allowed Shuzen to proceed further in, alone. He proceeded forward, knowing well the consequence.

His precious mate, his lover, his wife. She had suffered greatly when she learned what had happened to Moka. Her only child died. A vampire is little able to bear children as humans can. It is a struggle, one that took the pink-haired woman nearly a century. Her only child, who at birth, was nearly still born. She had gone into a rage.

Akasha Bloodriver was, and still is, one of the strongest vampires in all the known world. It took a literal army to bring her down. It had wiped out half of Fairy tale's resources, so when the 7th Division fell to the Kaou on that fateful day, so did the rest of the company. What was left fought to preserve humanity, after they spent nearly a lifetime trying to control and change it. They saw that it was not the way to change the world, only a means in which to destroy it.

Even before Shuzen was fully before the sleeping beauty, he could feel the deadly youki poised in his direction. She blamed him for what had happened to her baby. She had succumbed to the hanabake pollen twice, and nearly died during the second cleaning of her blood. Shuzen bowed before his precious mate, the last thing he had in this world worth dying for.

"I found Moka." Were his first words to her. The body, which had been held in suspended animation for nearly a year, stirred. The blip of the EKG was heard raising in speed. Shuzen looked up, only to be startled by the blood red eyes, which soon cooled to the emerald green he had come to love.

Over the vampiress' mouth was an oxygen mask. Her eyes were glassed over, but eventually focused onto the large, dark-haired male who knelt on the ground, his head bowed. The mask fogged over with each breath and she shrieked. The sound was loud, piercing and _pained_ Shuzen. He stood, head still humbly bowed before his mate.

"Yes, I will get you out immediately. We shall fix this, I swear." He proclaimed.

**o*o*o*o*o*o*o*o**

**(A/N: Beta'd by GrrDraxin)**


	10. Cries of the Innocent

**Chapter 10: Cries of the Innocent**

Outside of the borders of Kamakura, the new Mecca of this broken and shattered world, the globe lay steeped in non-stop war between believer and non-believer. The faithful and the perceived faithless warred a constant and bloody battle that stirred nightmares in the dreams of the unborn. Another hits the dust with a sickening squelch. A severed head rolls from its body as the slash that beheaded him so raked the edges of his flesh into jagged ends. On this battlefield it was not a matter of race, age, or nationality. Survival was key. A harrowing shout was let loose as another charged the Athens' champion.

She was a full-figured woman with hair of silk. She could bid any man to join her up in arms and take on their fates rather than leave it at the hands of a self-proclaimed god. She was the Athens' greatest weapon because she could will any man, or woman, no matter how reluctant, onto the battlefield. Her body was draped in tightly bound armor of leather and steel. She was guised, in what many compared with, the Lady Joan of Arc, but in the stead of standing by god's side and will, she was born to destroy it.

Her arrival at the Athens was questionable. The woman was a wreck. She was a full born youkai and was brought to their underground base by soldiers that found her over the bloodied corpses of believers and hanabake alike. It was vicious. Her claws had rend the plant demons to shreds, and the same could be said of the humans. Their bodies were riddled, as if with hundreds sharpened nails. Many of them had their spines broken, necks twisted absurdly, as if dropped from the sky. Shuzen had seen the pain in her eyes. They were the eyes of a mother that had lost her child, yet still believed, much unlike the eyes of his mate; she had lost all hope and any faith she had left in humanity was destroyed.

_I had a dream._

It was what the woman had said when she was brought before the lord, but well contained as they believed she was sick with the taint of the hanabake. She was covered in blood that seemed to stain her perfect, white skin. Her form held a vivacious stance as she seemed to openly entice those around her with her natural presence. Her eyes glittered like polished gems, even as the world lay in a crumbled state. They shone like freshly pressed wine: pure and undiluted.

_I dreamt I flew over a field of flowers to where the man, who takes the claim of kami, lives. I saw his death._

The seemingly crazed woman continued to speak her vision, a dream she lived through with frighteningly vivid detail. One detail in particular had caught the vampire lord's attention, mention of a woman with pink hair who danced across a blood soaked earth. There this woman stood over the kami's ruined body. No longer did it move. It had convinced him to bring the woman into their care. Also, with the evidence of hatred toward kami and the kill count at her feet, she would be indispensable in the coming confrontations against kami and his believers. Her presence on the battlefield unnerved believers.

She had wings like an angel, but she did not sit at kami's side. They called her the dantenshi, a fallen angel. She had a mature beauty that exceeded the angels by kami's side. They proclaimed her to be the first angel, but to turn against kami as she has...

She battled with authority. Every man in her regiment was a volunteer. Young, old, damaged, it did not matter. Everyone needed to fight were they to survive this. Men as young as fourteen were sent into battle out of desperation. She needed no weapon when it came to combat. She took pleasure in feeling her enemies falling dead on her claws, or running them through with those blade-edged wings of hers. Believers feared her for her ability to turn even the most loyal follower of kami against him. She was a devil that whispered in your ear and turned your faith on its head.

The dantenshi sat on a throne of corpses. The bodies were her kill, her prize. Each one was a step closer to avenging her daughter, whom she lost during the Kamakura incident. Her elbow rested on the back of an enemy, whose face was no longer recognizable as she had smashed it onto the pavement until the face's bones were cracked and so broken in that brain matter would ooze from his ears and his eyeballs dangled from their, formerly fitting, sockets. She held her cheek rested against her palm, and her elbow found proper elevation upon the dip within a corpse's shoulder joints. Her long legs slipped free from the confining cloth of her half-skirt. She crossed those elegant limbs, the left leg over the right knee.

On her shoulders she wore steel pauldrons from which hung a cape of maroon. She wore a fitted kevlar vest that were barely able to manage her massive breasts, as well made as they were. She wore black leather, knee-high boots and a scarlet military beret held back her aqua bangs from her eyes. She sighed a bit bored. She had been heading the front lines since Shuzen called the Athens to battle. Their camp was set up right outside of Kamakura's boundary lines.

"Lady Kurono!" A soldier called as he rushed to her side. He held up an old communication device, a walkie, that was supported by the makeshift radio towers the Athens set up in _safe zones_ and fiercely protected against the technology fearing believers. Kurono Ageha became a key weapon for the Athens goal. She, and those of her kin, created a grand army, even if those that joined did so against their will. Anything to destroy the kami and return the world back to normal, but as of late Ageha began to question things. Were they really in the right? Men were not for wasting, tossing helplessly into a one-sided battle.

A succubus knew and weighted the power of life. They had control of a person's free will, and well understood the implications. They were some of the most powerful and ancient youkai, but only used their powers to create life, not destroy it. A succubus abilities stem from their need and desperation to birth children whom, among all the living creatures of this world, had the lowest birth rates, and highest infant mortality rates. This was not how their powers should be used, but if her vision was correct... if they did not do something to stop the kami their world would cease, as they had known it. She put the walkie to her ear as she traced her nails along the man's cheek.

She wishes for things to go back to as they were. All this fighting, killing, it was disheartening for a succubus. "Sir?" She responded as she began to stroke the head of the male as if he was a pet.

"_Ageha. We are heading back underground and heading toward Kamakura." _She could her the clicker-clak of the train tracks. The succubus furrowed her brows at the vampire's words.

"S-sir?" She sat herself up and pulled a strand of hair behind her ear.

"_We will greet the cultists with one last hoo-rah. We have acquired the key to razing those fools in one fell swoop. I will see you in two days." _The signal clicked out. They must have entered the tunnel. Ageha was stunned.

Tears began to flow from her eyes. She was just some murderer now. She lured men into her gaze and sent them off to die. For what? This was not a life! What would Kurumu think of her had she seen the state her mother was now in? The men around her looked worried. She never showed any sort of weakness before.

"Lady Kurono?" They walked toward her, some worrying from their duties as they piled more bodies for the fires. Ageha reached out and pet their faces.

"What have I become?" She slipped from the throne of corpses and onto her knees. The bare flesh of her knees dug into the rotting ones. The men felt for the woman, but be it out of natural pity for a woman who had lost her only child, or as servants who wish for their master to be happy? The succubus sobbed and pulled one of her men down to the floor. She laughed.

"That's it, isn't it?" She mused as she undid the male's pants and pulled them down. A dark smile drew upon her features. "Right?" She shouted and pulled the man's duty free from its confines. He did not struggle, nor did the others around him think to help as the individual before them was raped by the night daemon upon a bed of corpses. Ageha sighed out at the freeing feeling. She forced the man into her, not a moment or preparation had been offered. It was raw and painful for them both.

"Ahh..." She moaned as she rode the male, who could do nothing more than grunt in pain as the demon took him, hard and held her hips like the obedient doll he was. None of these men no longer felt, they simply obeyed the mind drug offered to them by the grand succubi. "I just need to t..try agaihhhnn!" She moaned and dug her claws into the man's shoulders, which caused him to scream.

For the rest of the day, not one battle had been fought as the succubus took man after man to their death, until her body was satiated. Her sensuous cries were heard across the territory. They were the cries of a broken soul, that fought to save all she could, only to lose her mind.

**o*o*o*o*o*o*o*o*o**

**(A/N: Beta'd by GrrDraxin)**


	11. Cast Out

**Chapter 11: Cast Out**

He stepped from his Sanctuary. He had to see for himself just how these people, under him, really lived. And with Ruby at his side the deity left Eden, touched by the suffering of his people. Behind him strode the Angels of Life, Death and Existence. Kurumu walked beside Moka, her hand tightly held within the silver-haired angel's. Kurumu held her head low as she sauntered beside her sister, her anger waning as Moka did well to keep her twin calm. Little Mizore silently waddled along. She held Kurumu's outstretched tail like a lead and followed. Her tiny hand was stuck in her mouth, chewing for comfort. This had been the first time the tiny plant-girl had been out of the garden and she was scared. Akuma was sound asleep in his mother's arms and blissfully unaware of the happenings around him.

Tsukune walked along, leading the group. He held tightly to Yukari's hand. The girl was still afraid of the Lizardmen coming back to find her, but Tsukune assured her she was safe. Yukari did not feel as such. She was not stupid. She felt the gaze of the older angels aways upon her with intent to kill. She always stuck close to Tsukune as she was aware of the rumors of the Angel's jealousy when it came to their loyalty to kami. Yukari turned her head to look over her shoulder only to catch the silver-haired Angel glaring in her direction. Kurumu too peered evilly in the tiny witch's direction as she followed close to her twin. Suddenly Tsukune released Yukari's hand, which sent a spiral of fear the twin Angels easily felt.

The young man had knelt down to help an older individual, seemingly in pain. People were shocked, humbled, to see kami lower himself and touch a human. Many gathered to see kami with their own eyes, as word spread. Ruby cradled Akuma and smiled warmly. Tsukune had always been a gentle person and even after everything has happened that gentle heart, though skewed, has not changed.

Moka released Kurumu's hand and strode toward the smaller witch. Tsukune's attention was diverted to one of his many cattle, or what had he called it? People? Regardless, with his mistress holding the babe, there was nothing she could do now. Moka sneered at the ebony-haired girl and approached her. She would snap Yukari's neck and gain Tsukune's favor under the pretenses she was out for his life! Yes... perfect.

Kyouko had been at the place where the foreigners were staying. It was pretty disastrous. They had wasted much time fighting off the remaining Lizardman. Kyouko had finally reached the corpse, but had not expected the horror she had come upon. The woman was _not_ dead. In fact the Lizardman had continued to use her, rape her, until she was at the door. Villagers, natives to Kamakura, were afraid that if she died he Angel of Death would come because they did not try hard enough to save her. That aside, Kyouko understood they wanted to help her, even if it was out of fear of retribution.

Kyouko had brought the witch to the chief's hut to tend to her until she was well. The young human was glad to finally see her away, healing and even able to eat on her own.

"_My daughter_." The older witch signed, unable to speak after what the Lizardmen had done to her. During copulation it seems the remaining Lizardman had bit into her throat to hold her in place and after several times she was unable to heal over. The witch's voice box remained damaged in any regard. Kyouko had set down the platter of tea and went over to the woman, who she learned was named Fujiko. She offered Fujiko a paper and pencil, as Kyouko was not good at signing as chief Maki was. She could not read well the motions of the hands, save for a few important ones such as _ help_ and _hello._

The witch laid in a futon on the floor. Beside her was a stand with a glass of water and medicine she had to take. Fujiko took the paper and wrote. And the witch wrote, and continued to do so until she lost the will. Her body slumped over and she allowed the pencil to slip from her grip and roll away across the floor. Kyouko knelt down and picked up the paper. The black-haired woman sighed and put her arm to her stomach, keep balance as she stood crouched.

"Fujiko-san...I know you are worried, but we're looking alright?" It saddened the girl to see on the paper written the woman's turmoil, a turmoil she could no longer voice.

_My daughter, kami took her and my soul. Kami took her and my soul. Where is my baby I want to see Yukari again. Kami is a merciless beast who stole everything I had. _

How could Fujiko blame him? She was sure Tsukune, her Tsukki, would have done something, anything to save her had he known. He hadn't known right? Innocent little Tsukki who was scared of his own shadow... at least that was the Tsukki she knew. What Tsukki did these people know? Her uncle and aunt have gotten better. Kouji does the housework, as Kasumi is still a bit ill and tends to the potted Hyoubake as if it were her child, but they were still physically better compared to what they had been.

"Firespit!" Someone called as the flap of Fujiko's hut was pushed open. "Firespit, kami has left Eden!" He called. Kyouko shot up from her place.

"What?" She shirked and ran up to the youkai's side. He was an old honey badger and his black and white face was upturned in an excited smile. "Are you sure? Seriously! Tsukki?" She could barely contain herself. The odl Mujina took her wrist into his paw.

"Come quickly!" He barked out and pulled her away. Kyouko was barely able to let out a fare well to Fujiko and reminded her to take her medicine. The witch weakly stared at the pills and looked to the paper abandoned on the floor. She opened her mouth in a soundless scream and slapped away the water and pills from their stand. She held out her hand and a rusted metal wand appeared in the witch's hand as a dark and empty gaze fell over her features.

Fujiko had to get revenge. Her daughter...she had been at the mercy of those Lizardmen. The kami she had wholeheartedly worshiped did not come to save her when she cried for him and begged for his protection. She cried until she no longer had a voice. Her hand came upon her throat as tears streamed down her face. She would never call his name again...

**o*o*o*o*o*o*o*o**

**(A/N: Beta'd by GrrDraxin)**


	12. Kami's Favor

**Chapter 12: Kami's Favor**

Tsukune raised his hand and a snap echoed through the air. People around murmured into their hands and fell to their knees in prayer, fear. Tsukune stood with a crying Yukari pulled to his form. Moka was slumped on the ground, her pale cheek as red as fire. Her white dress remained unstained from her collapse, but those ruby eyes were marred with tears. Kami was angry and has raised a hand against his own angel! Moka could not understand. She opened her mouth and hissed. Kurumu fell to her sister's side, the pair distraught. Mizore stood, with a sleepy stare, and held onto Ruby's dress.

Tsukune also looked hurt, having to...punish the reborn demon plant. "You will not be as they are." He felt tears at his eyes, not only for hurting her, but for not being more stern. "You cannot do as you will, hurting others, threatening them if they are innocent. I will not lose you again..." His words seemed to hurt the demon. She did not understand it, but if she had to surmise the situation, she was not to hurt those loyal to her master's will, and she was being scolded. It hurt to be scolded by him. She crawled toward her master.

Yukari was pulled aside by Ruby, who made sure the young girl was close to her, in case Moka decided to disobey Tsukune, because she had no control over the three, whom were deemed angels by the people. Did Tsukune even hold command over them? Moka reached up and hugged him, supporting her weight on her knees. Her arms tightly wrapped around his form.

"No...Moka is a good girl." She moved her hands down to the belt of his pants. "All she wants is master's praise, please..." She turned to look up at him, eyes glittering with tears. He sighed and pet the top of her head.

"Of course... you're my good girl and one of my important treasures." He smiled warmly and let her do as she pleased. And she did show, partially to feed her selfish need to procreate and in part to selfishly show that witch that she was her master's pet.

Followers stood around and had their heads lowered in prayer as they watched their kami give the seed of life to the Angels of Life and Death, just as he gave his seed to his first wife and loyal mistress. They praised her gentle humble nature as the older witch sat by with her babe and the youngest Angel as her mate and kami furthered the holy trinity of existence. Youkai and human alike prayed that they too could find such peace to relish in the love of their better halves.

The old mujina pulled Kyouko through the crowd. And there he was. Putting on _quite _the display. Kyuko blushed and looked away, at least she tried. Seeing Tsukki, after so long, but seeing him in such a state. He was on his back, his cloak splayed around his form under his back. His pants were pulled down enough that she could see the flesh of his hips, even if they were nestled and knotted around a long, pale leg. She swallowed nervously as her Tsukki thrust his hips up into the _angel_ that people had come to worship. They came to worship t-this? Her face was red and her heart was beating. She wantd to look away, but this is what her Tsukki has turned into? A public display!

"I-irresponsible!" She sputtered. The Mujina looked up to her in question. He chuckled. A flustered, panicky and confused Kyouko looked to the old badger.

"W-why are you laughing?" She blurted out. "This is serious." The mujina nodded in agreement.

"It is." Kyouko stared at him incredulously. "Well, how else will kami make life? He cannot just make things appear from nothing, it takes work to make life and responsibility to raise it." The Mujina explained in a sagely manner. "He has given life to Akuma, the Angels, and he has raised them to be idols to a people who had lost all hope. He cannot just stop, he has to continue, no?" The mujina questioned.

Kyouko, face flushed, looked to the old badger. "You would have made a better prophet than that mean old dude." She offered, to the mujina's embarrassment. The old badger was a scholarly type and often helped chief in his book making and archiving. Kyouko pet his shoulder and sighed.

"Okay, wish me luck old man, I'll do it." She gave a thumbs up, which the old badger offered back. He wished her luck. Meeting the kami... that was a daunting task for many.

The demon plant of ruby eyes and silver hair was pleased, ecstatic. Her master, her lord gave to her the seed she needed to produce the fruit of the future, and none too late as she was nearing the end of her cycle, but it was well worth it. Her sister had crawled over had offered pleading nuzzles to her sibling, begging whines. She too wanted a turn ad being supplied seed. Mizore watched in earnest curiosity. She put her little hand to her mouth and looked up to Ruby. Ruby shook her head.

"You are much too young." She offered the tiny angel a gentle headpat. Yukari smiled at Mizore and reached out her hand.

"Hi desu..." Mizore stared at Yukari's hand and turned her aurora eyes to the witch's glitter lavender orbs. Mizore pouted and reached out her hand, the one that had been occupying her mouth, and offered it to Yukari. The little witch giggled and picked Mizore up in a hug. She was so cute!

Kyouko's path was crossed by the silver haired demoness. People murmured. There were rumors about this firespit girl, the one Maki watched over. Would she be a threat to kami and his followers, or was she truly a bloodkin? Moka stood tall and crossed her arms under her chest. Her silver locks rained down around her like an aura. Moka reached out. The brave, and foolhearty, Kyouko kept her chin up and a brave front, even if she was scared out of her mind. What did this thing want to do to her? Could she do anything to her? Tsukki wouldn't let her right? Oh..Tsukki... Her cheeks flushed once again.

Moka brushed her finger pads under Kyouko's chin, but said nothing. Ruby eyes would turn up as a pair of silver and red wings spread from her back. The act served to cause Kyouko to faint. Moka caught the girl in her arms. She did not want to disappoint her master. He was right. Another one who followed him so closely was just one more that could pass on his seed. The worshippers looked up. A terrible feeling filled her with killing intent. Moka held out her hand. "Go and prepare, the time comes you defend my master." The people knew not what to think, but by the Angel's command as she served only Life and would serve to protect theirs, even after death. Moka turned her head to look at Kyouko who lay unconscious in her arms. Moka smirked and looked back to Kurumu who continued to take the seed their master wholeheartedly supplied their precious eggs. This one will serve... as just one more sack of eggs for her master to fertilize...

**o*o*o*o*o*o*o*o**

**(A/N: Beta'd by GrrDraxin)**


	13. Kamakura and Tokyo

**Chapter 13: Kamakura and Tokyo**

There Kyouko lay, unconscious and in the arms of the one she searched for a time not even kami knew. Believers, upon the angels' command, prepared for war. It hurt Tsukune deeply. He had not known that people had still suffered. Was he so weak, yet still, to not be aware of their plight? He was a fool, and would make up for it. He sat among his people. He did not wish them to throw away their lives, but Moka told him, what Karasuuri has. From all corners came their enemies. The North, the South, the East, and West. Athens, The secluded Tribe of the Yuki Onna, and remnants of humanity that looked to neither group for support. They sought to end the genocide of civilization. Without machines, without buildings, humans were unable to continue living as they once had. They had grown accustomed to the lifestyles, but it was only they who fought, for those who choose to live on, were glad that these devices, these burdens were no more. Yes, they kept what was needed: medicine, health, means to grow and process food... They would live on, and be thankful that they _could._

Tsukune would prepare then. In his arms, Kyouko stirred. Her dark eyes would flutter open, and she would wake to the face she had dreamed of since she began her search. The woman reached up, unsure if it was a dream, or a nightmare. What was she saw, true? Or was this _her_ Tsukki? Tsukune smiled, and held her close. He wrapped his arms around her body, and trembled. She was surprised by the motion, and slightly disappointed. This was not the Tsukki she knew. The Tsukki she knew would never hug her first, or hold her. Kyouko sadly smiled and pulled her face into the crook of his neck.

He had grown up without her. "Tsukki..." she sighed. "I'm so happy you're okay." She felt her cousin pull her into his embrace. She closed her eyes. She just wanted everything to go back to normal, but at the same time she has grown used to this... "Tsukki, make all these... please" She murmured. "Make all their pain go away. Obasan, ojisan..." Tear filled eyes turned to to Tsukune. "You're kami right, Tsukki? Tell them to stop." Tsukune smiled warmly and placed his hands on Kyouko's cheeks.

He placed a gentle kiss on her forehead. "I'll do everything I can, even if I have to strike down our enemy. I too, do not wish to see people needlessly suffer. I was blind to think that I could merely sit back and let things run their course." he was steadfast in his resolve. For his family, for his people that he fought so hard to protect, even if it had just been existing. No, he would step up and defend the helpless. He would not allow things to end in disaster as it had been with Moka, or Kurumu, or Ruby... he would fight to defend them. He was not weak anymore.

On the other side of that wall of flowers rode the Athens. They scrounged together what bits of machines remained. They marched the dark streets with vehicles equipped with mounted flamethrowers. As fuel was no longer accessible: they were virtual ballista and were pushed by larger men in the back. Armor was worn in the more vital areas of the body to protect from hanabake attacks. They were prepared more to fight the plants and not the people, who would be easily mowed down by their projectile weapons. Little did they know the hanabake had entrusted their humans with their lives as much as the humans depended on them. Over the many years they have developed a symbiotic relationship that has protected them from the perils of unforgiving winters that now were strong in the land. This winter was colder than the last.

Athens could not see the coming troubles as their sole purpose in this existence was to destroy the believers and everything they stood for. Underground the Burubs kept Karasauri aware of her enemies positions. In the front lines for those who worshiped the kami, they were garbed in carapace shed from hanabake hides. Weapons carved from Karasaruuri's bark were wielded, and stood as sharp as steel. Behind the troops were Suisen, riled by the violence shown by their neighbors. The demon plants roared and paced around their human partners, for these were the humans that watered them, sewn their seeds. These were the humans they owed their very lives to. Suisen were fiercely loyal and would never turn their backs to their caretakers.

Upon Uri-chan's roots sat the kami himself. In his arms lay a nervous Kyouko, who had yet to accept things. It was all suspicious to her, but she would watch for now. Kurumu and Moka flew over their soldiers, their pawns for protecting their master. Mizore lay hung over one of her sister-tree's roots, watching, just over her master's head. The mistress watched from afar. Atop Uri-chan she stood. Her flock of ravens were like a black omen, a cloud that hung over head. In her arms lay Akuma, asleep and unaware of the brutality that was about to take place. She could see the armies that sought to stop her lover. But she would not allow this. She has lost everything in her life so far. She had lost her parents. She had lost her faith in humanity. The witch had lost her master, and had nearly lost her sanity. Without Tsukune she would not have Akuma, without him, she would not have this life. She had even came so close to losing him, before any of this began.

The witch raised her hand into the air and beckoned the clouds to conceal the sun and the sky. The Athens would not have this advantage. She was not as helpless as her mate. She would protect him, with a great power and show the plants their place beneath her.

On the side of the Athens rode their champion. Shuzen rode his ballista forward. Beside him stood his one, and only mate. "Are you ready to see, your daughter, my love?" He, by this time, has seen pictures of the _angels._ He had seen what that demon had done to his daughter. He knew seeing it for herself, would send Akasha into a blind rage, and this is what he had hoped.

The old vampire lord would get word that the yuki onna tribes approached, and dressed for war. Yuki onna wielded as much individuality as humans, but their strong clan bonds have kept them prepared. They took no sides, and would stand with their ally to stop kami, and kami alone. The innocent, helpless humans were stupid, and knew not their place or whom they served. Tsurara marched beside Akuha.

"Are you prepared to kill that which has the face of your flesh and blood?" The ice woman would ask. She had long since been prepared, in fact, she had swore to herself, that if she would see her girl again, it would be in a damned form that held no value. Tsurara had seen her daughter die and she had come to accept it.

Akuha nodded. "I will not fail this time, because that monster, is not my baby sister. My baby...sisters lie dead in the earth." her words were hard for her to speak, but they were the truth.

Shuzen stood from his place and held out his hand. Above Ageha flew, her army of men marched below to die...for their lover. The elder succubus squeezed her eyes closed. She could not bare it, but someone had to stop him, so they could have peace again.

Ageha held out her hand, wings beating behind her in a cry of war against the kami. "Charge!" She commanded, her voice alluring, and dominating.

Tsukune sat and watched. He held out his hand, and ordered the charge. Moka and Kurumu flew over their pawns. "_Charge_!" the twins cried simultaneously.

**o*o*o*o*o*o*o*o*o*o*o**

**(A/N: Beta'd by GrrDraxin)**


	14. Heaven and Hell

**Chapter 14: Heaven and Hell**

And so it began: between the Kaou and his enemies. It was a showdown at the Kamakura border. An invisible curtain seemed drawn over the sides. None seemed willing to attack, but neither were willing to back down. It was the tension that seemed to put everyone on edge. Tsukune sat upon the raised roots of Karasuuri, the great Nameless One that grew from but a seed in days past. She was nurtured by the hatred, and devotion of those who were lost in the abyss of their solitude and desperation of greed. Days would pass, the groups never charged, merely watched, and waited. Messengers were sent between the groups, but not a one issue was resolved. Neither sided could understand the other's reasons.

Money.

_Kami_.

Freedom.

_Family._

Civilization.

_Simplicity._

Above angels flew overhead. Kurumu and Moka circled their lord, their meaning for life, and reason to fight death. They had no past, save for the memory their hearts clung to. In their death they called out his name in their still beating hearts, in their new-life they call his name and seek to stay with him. Like an inuyoukai they have grown obsessed with their master, onto the point where, were he to turn his back on them, they would slay him, so that no others may have what is theirs.

All came upon their fates.

Yukari had been sent to the village to help lead civilians away with Chief Maki. Those who took neither side had come from the East. They promised to shelter the people from the fighting, whether they were servants of kami, of believers of free will, these individuals held out their hands. Maki would not forgo a chance to protect the people. It was what kami wanted, and if he wanted to continue teaching the next generation, and turn them from the faults of this one, he had to survive to tell his tale.

As Yukari assisted in the evacuation, the tiny witch was struck to see that her mother was among them.

"Kaa-sama!" She would cry, waving her hands. The witch, who was being helped by worshipers, and deserters of the Athen army, turned to look upon the daughter she had thought she lost. Fujiko rushed to her baby's side and sobbed in a soundless pain. Her heart had ached, but hurt the most when she saw her daughter, for when a heart fell from its path of self torture, was when it hurt the most.

"Kaa-sama, what, what happened desu ka?" Yukari questioned as she looked over her mother, who had been scarred by her encounter with the Lizardmen. Tears filled the loli witch's eyes as she embraced her mother. "Don't worry kaa-sama, Tsukune-sama will protect us." Fujiko immediately pulled away. Those words were struck her with an unbridled rage. The mute witch shook her head and pulled at Yukari's arm. She sought to lead her away, but Yukari fought.

"No! Kaa-sama! We can't leave desu! Tsukune-sama is fighting to protect everyone, we have-!"

_Crack!_

Fujiko's had struck like a whip against the soft and delicate skin of her only born blood. Fujiko put her hands on Yukari's shoulders and gripped them tightly. She opened her mouth, silently begging.

_This is what I have to show for worshipping him. I screamed for him, begged him to save me, but he left me to die! I can't let it happen to you!_

Though the elder witch could not speak, Yukari could see it. Her mother had lost all of her faith. The young girl smiled weakly and squeezed her eyes together in a hurt smile. She began to cry.

"Even though he protected me...so I can see you again, kaa-sama..." Yukari looked up, pained, hurt. "Do you think he is a _real _kami?" Fujiko blinked, confused. Yukari reached out and took her mother's face in her hands. "There is no such thing as a kami. He is just a Kaou, a regular _hyman_ who is fighting as hard as he can, to protect everyone around him." Fujiko, by this time, had fallen to her knees at her daughter's words. "Kaa-sama," she began, "We cannot expect to be handed things. We have to fight... kaa-sama, please desu, don't lose your fate, your fight, because if you do, we'll die unhappy."

Such a young girl, but she was a prodigy when it came to the scholarly arts. The little girl has never believed in the kid of magic that happens without reason, for there is no such thing, she is a witch and knows that a great sacrifice comes with using magic. They will never be youkai, nor humans, but they never fought to be anything. To have a place in the world...

"To be where Ruby-sama is, so high and powerful, we have to be strong not just for us desu, but each other..." So young, yet so wise.

Akasha had fallen to her knees. Moka... she was alive, but how? Her daughter had grown, lived. Had she spent the last year in grief when she could have found her before... The pink-haired vampire empress looked up. Her daughter, and Ageha's, sat beside this man, this obvious human, as if he were a god. She looked up to Ageha. The elder succubus was in tears. Her only child s alive and well, and was even mate to a god.

It was all the demoness ever wanted for her daughter: happiness. The blue haired succubus, matured time, would land ad fall to her knees in relief. But Akasha wasn't satisfied. She wanted to know why. The pink haired youkai pushed from her ranks and raced to the separation that sat between the two armies, the showdown unmet due to fear from both sides, fear of death from the Athens, and fear for their kami's heart for the Believers, after all it was a sin to kami to kill another, so to allow their children to live, they had to sin? It was a revelation for many, and many prayed and hoped they would not suffer for their choice. They believed in their kami's mercy, and would lay down their lives for their children, as he did for his children by coming before the enemy.

Shuzen tried to stop his lover, but she was gone, beyond that like he feared to cross. He did not realize how hard it would be to see his daughter's face. To the north the yuki onna watched. Akuha was anxious.

"Why do we have to wait!" The girl, who had already fallen once to what currently paralyzed her father. Tsurara held up her hand to calm the girl. The other yuki onna and those of the north, draped in warm kimono and furs, stood watching from the shadows of the many trees that have grown from the hanabake and human's care.

"Understand Akuha-san..." The pale-skinned yuki onna spoke with a chilling tone, that was calm. "To rush in head first, without allowing words to pass between your enemy and you, you will never know why it is they fight." She turned to look to Akuha. "Can you say you wish not to know the answers to the questions you have locked in your heart when both your sisters died at his hand?" Akuha was silent... Tsurara nodded.

"Be still, and know, the first to strike without understanding, makes this a battlefield, not a war."

Would they ever understand the difference between heaven and hell? Would you want to understand why your enemy wants to fight, and even if you did, would you accept it? To fight for god and die for him... is it less important when compared to fighting to hold a lifestyle you always had and wish to retain? Is it not the same?

It does not matter what side you are on, only that you will fight for what you believe in: whether it be through slaughter, non-violence, gathering together. In the end it is the majority to decide between right and wrong, on their own conscience.

**o*o*o*o*o*o*o*o*o**

**(A/N: Off Otakon! How long will it take for each side to come to an understanding?**

**War: **a sustained effort to deal with or end a particular unpleasant or undesirable situation or condition

**Battlefield**: a place or situation of strife or conflict**)**


	15. Loss of Words

**Chapter 15: Loss of Words**

Ageha tentatively approached her daughter, at least the girl that looked like her one and only. The _angels_ had come to the ground as their sibling, Karasuuri, lowered Tsukune to the ground, upon his will, to meet the woman that stepped toward him. Moka stayed by his side and held a fierce glare. How dare this woman show her master such disrespect? Ruby eyes would narrow and wings would be held behind her back in an intimidating fashion. Something about the pink-haired woman made the hairs on her neck stand on end, and her heart race. It screamed _threat_, the way Akasha held herself.

Kurumu was a bit more curious and stepped toward the woman who had wings like them. Tears hung on the edges of Ageha's eyes. Her daughter looked to her with such innocent curiosity. Had it been so long, that the mother was forgotten, or had something worse happen that tore her memory from Kurumu's heart? She was assured she was the best mother she could have been. She had given Kurumu everything she possibly could, even supported her strange hobbies of cooking and sewing.

"Kurumu...?" Ageha softly called as she reached out her hand to touch the piece of her she had thought lost for the rest of eternity. Kurumu blinked in surprise and tilted her head to the side. The woman knew her name? The small demon plant did not feel threatened by the elder succubus, in fact she felt nothing but sadness and regret from her.

Was the older woman remorseful for leaving kami's side? For the only ones the tiny angel knew with wings belonged to kami. The woman reached out her hand, ever slowly, afraid that Kurumu would vanish before her eyes once more, and forever be lost to her. Kurumu lowered her head and allowed the woman to pet her. The tiny demon plant smiled and enjoyed the touch. It felt warm, like a memory. She was born a mere year ago, so her memories were limited to her life with Tsukune, Ruby, her sisters and Kuma-tan. Tsukune petted her, but never like this. It was indescribable for the girl.

Kurumu blinked her violet eyes and looked up to Ageha. "Why are you fighting master...?" The question was innocent, hurt. "We just want to be together." The words broke Ageha's heart.

Ageha began to sob and pulled the oblivious Kurumu into a hug. Ageha shook her head and held her only daughter against her breasts to emphasis her love to her. The feeling mesmerized Kurumu. This sort of skinship was...comforting and the scent from the woman triggered a longing sigh from the demon plant, as if she recognized the action as a form of affection as opposed to one of violence.

Akasha was climbing an emotional wall. The Athens fought to push forward and pull their mistress back, but the wall of demonic plants and cultists prevented their forward push. The Athens could not use their tanks, or risk harming Akasha, which would destroy their only means of totally annihilating the Kaou's cultists. Shuzen, himself, stood afraid of the woman because of her power. To be able to fight off the spores so many times, to be able to destroy two cities under her own power...

It was in despair. A mother's despair could destroy the world.

Though technology was powerful enough to keep the planets at bay, it was human and a youkai's proud natures that assistance and sped up the plant's destructive force. Many sought to tame the plants, or even genetically mutate the seeds in the manner they would cross-pollinate domesticated plants, but this had disastrous results. It sped up the hanabake's evolution and created many that were resilient to disease and the elements, but it had instilled a docile temperament in many that allowed the later domestication by the tainted humans who knew how to communicate with the plants.

Destruction and sabotage also sped up the plant's process of growth. In grief, despair and greed humans and youkai alike would attempt to pull the chaos into their favor and force certain groups to disband, or assimilate with their, supposedly, more powerful sides, or simply destroy their competition and boost their commissions.

Akasha was on her knees and clasps her hands together. Even on her knees she was intimidating and powerful. Tsukune furrowed his brows and lowered himself to her level.

"Please...speak." He begged in that soft, gentle voice only he seemed to carry in this troubling times. "I want to know, why." He stated. "Why is everyone still fighting, angry?"

A spark of anger ripped through the pink-haired vampiress that caused Moka to step closer to her master. Akasha clenched her hands and balled them into fists as her body began to tremble from the sheer force of anger.

"No matter how much...she looks like my daughter." Of course she was aware. She was not stupid, but seeing her daughter's face on that demon brought back memories, sparked hope that perhaps her daughter still, somehow lived, within that demon. She could sense it was not the same aura, but it was powerful, fierce, and duty bound as her daughter had been. "You took my daughter from me... killed her. You...murderer."

The accusation stabbed Tsukune's heart, with a physical pain. They knew? He had thought he washed the blood from his hands. He looked down, yet there it still was. It stained his soul with regret and caution. It burned his heart with fear and agony.

Akasha had learned of her daughter's disappearance. She was worried, as any mother would be, but her daughter was strong, so she was confident she would be well. She was wrong. When she was sent word from the hospital that someone matching the description of her daughter was found in the morgue, her soul was sucked from her breast by the force of the black hole that opened within her chest.

When she went to the morgue...

"Do you know what I found in there Kaou?" She slowly wobbled to her feet and turned her head up to him. She wore a black corset and short, leather and lace lingerie that accommodated the thigh-high leather heels. Tsukune shook his head, his form hidden beneath a black cloak, face obviously worn from the stress of his year-long, internal conflict.

Akasha choked down a sob. "N..nothing!" She laughed softly. "**Nothing**!" She screamed. "I wasn't allowed to say good-bye to my only child, because of _**you**_!" She accused.

Moka pulled her lips over her fangs to hiss, but Akasha shot her a glare. "You may wear my daughter's skin, but your colors are the same." She motioned her hand toward the girl, and the plant stepped back, wings spread and body lowered slightly trying to threaten one of the most fearsome creatures on the planet. "You know to fear me, and what I can do."

"Enough!" A feminine voice broke through the clouds. From the sky flew Ruby, alone. She had left her only son with Mizore and Kyouko upon Karasuuri's tallest branch, assured the human woman would watch over her son and Tsukune's youngest angel. Kyouko held Akuma in her arms, almost saddened, but happy. Tsukune had a son, and he smiled just like Tsukki did when he was little. The human woman knew not what was going on, but she knows her Tsukki did something bad and had to pay for it, she just hoped that he did not have to travel for eternity until his reincarnation.

Beautiful ebony wings were spread from her naked back, the ends of the lower wings glistened with paradise emerald. In her hand she carried an old tome, leather bound and discolored with age. In the other she carried her artifact, her magical stick. The skies were blackened by the thousands of flocks of Raven that had gathered on the mistress' call.

"You will stop. No longer will you accuse Tsukune for my sins." She held out her staff and the flocks of raven familiar circled the battle field. Such force did these Raven produce in flight the clouds themsevles took on the swirled patterns of their motions.

"Ruby...?" Tsukune looked up, as did all eyes. They had never seen the Kaou's mistress so closely before. Garbed in all black, yet modest when compared to the angels with her long skirt and fitting corset. The sleeves of fabric over her arms were torn and stretched with age, and the belt of her skirt was decorated with trinkets such as feathers and beads.

"I'm sorry Tsukune." Ruby smiled sadly. "This is all my fault." She admitted.

"R-ruby...?" Tsukune did not want to believe, for it was his fault, and his alone for being unable to protect them, for being a coward and not saving Ruby from her situation when he was first presented with the chance. Kami had brought him to her to save her, but he ran away, afraid. It was not something he wished to believe.


	16. Admittance to my Sins

**Chapter 16: Admittance to my Sins**

"R-ruby...?" Tsukune did not want to believe, for it was his fault, and his alone for being unable to protect them, for being a coward and not saving Ruby from her situation when he was first presented with the chance. Kami had brought him to her to save her, but he ran away, afraid. It was not something he wished to believe.

"I'm sorry Tsukune. I can no longer allow you to take the blame for something that I had caused." For years the witch had suffered for her misdeeds and no longer could she stay silent, not while Tsukune's life was in danger. The witch shook her head. "No more. I'm going to end this." The witch held her tome open palm and raised her hand.

"Ruby!" He called, but Ruby began to chant, and the skies above turned black, sending both sides into panic. The two sides turned to each other and a swirl of wind would pick up and whip about the debris which littered the streets of Kamakura.

Tsukune looked to Akasha.

"Please," he begged. "You have to understand I meant well." He sobbed. "Ruby's wrong!" He defended. The young male shook his held and held out his hands as he muttered. "No! Please don't hurt them!" He could not bare losing them again. His body trembled as Moka sought to comfort her master.

This bitch was causing her master distress, and that was all the reborn demon could see. It was her pride and duty to protect her precious master and his powerful seed, for it would generate a greater future. It had been her goal since she had returned to her master, from what felt like an eternal darkness. She woke to find his face and feel complete. The black depths of her non-existence had been shattered.

So many sides to one coin, but that boy didn't understand anything. He thought he was protecting those around him. So much death had occurred because he had fought so hard. She clasped her hands over her chest and fell to her knees as her heart was overwhelmed with pity. Issa moved to reach for his mate but was stunned by the amount of youki being released by the witch above. This power. This is the power they had been searching for, that Fairy Tale desired to fulfill their needs, their ability to create a new world. The kami had gotten his hands on it!

Akasha felt for the boy. In some strange sense he was a lot like her. He had good intentions, but the wrong methods. She had, at one point in her life, been just like him. Issa seems to have forgotten what it was like. He had lost Moka to this man, so he was blind to the experiences of her past. She had once sought to cleanse the world by destroying it. She watched the suffering of the weak, and the cruel nature of those so-called strong. When one had such great power they were obligated to protect those beneath them. She was unable to bare the sadness, and had nearly taken out the world in her sorrow over a thousand years prior. Issa had saved her with his love.

She was infected. She knew just what it was the collective hivemind were planning. As she once was, the boy was blind to the suffering around him. There was no one to reach out their hand to Tsukune, and tell him it was alright. Even the witch, who now hovered above everyone, and sent them into a panic, had been too weak to stand by his side.

Once she was made aware, she had fought hard in her past to protect this world, after nearly destroying it, but what do humans do? Every chance they get? They create conflict! Youkai too! None are better when compared to the other! Neither side knew how to react to what they saw. The kami had brought the Lady Akasha to her knees, though Shuzen had said none were as powerful as she. He would be right.

She had a strong heart, but it bled easily, and the plight of those around her would always affect her. She felt the burn of the pollen in her body. She knew what Moka, no this demon, was planning. This was no longer her daughter.

The plants plotted to overthrow their counterparts as soon as they reached a level of evolution that they no longer needed human care. Once humans would have no need to feed them, water them, they would take over and enslave humanity. They would rape their men and women and produce plant hybrids that would consume the world and turn it back from whence it came. It was the wish of Moka's master, but construed by the outrageous and one sided emotions of a demon plant whose only goal in life was to protect her master's wishes.

Akasa would attack. She had to stop this plan in its tracks. No one should be allowed to fight. Her hands are open, for she was intent on dragging down to the very place he cursed her daughter to be. But her actions were ultimately halted when her wrists had been caught in a deadly grip. The vampire mistress turned her emerald eyes up to the one who had tried to stop her. She was met with the ruby eyes of her daughter, or at least, the one who was once her daughter.

"He is my master, you will respect him." The silver haired demon snarled. "Or I will make you." It was the last straw. Akasha's youki began to lift around her. A vacuum was created as the witch's magic collided with the vampire's youki.

As strong as Moka saw herself, she had grappled the wrong demon. Akassha had age, power, time and the desperate need to avenge her daughter.

"Her blood is on your hands!" The pink-haired demoness hissed as she pushed Moka's wrists back and forced her onto her knees.

"Moka!" Tsukune would run forward to protect her, but was thrown back by the vampire's intense youki. Kurumu had perked up to her master's distress, and her sister's as well.

The former-succubus would pause and look to the woman who had been comforting her. The blue-haired angel spread her wings and laughed. Ageha's eyes would widen, as words escaped the planet-demons mouth before she took off toward Tsukune and Akasha. Ageha fell to her knees, gripping her chest as if she just had he breath knocked from her.

_I saw you in a dream, a long time ago._

Moka would be hurled unceremoniously into Kurumu as the twin flew in to save her sibling. The blue-haired angel of death would move to catch her twin, but the force of Akasha's throw had been unexpected and sent the both of them back. The twins slammed into the debris lined streets until they eventually came to a stop.

The Angels clung to one another as the, in fright, looked upon the raging form of Akasha. Neither side could attack. Such a fearsome form. This was … insanity. The Athens began to question just what they were fighting for. Was this, all of this, just for revenge?

Everyone fought. No one knew friend from foe and it had reached the point where Cultists versus Cultists turned out to be more of a mindgame.

**o*o*o*o*o*o*o*o*o**

**(A/N: Writer's block makes even small, simple fics, hard. Beta'd by GrrDraxin)**


	17. Thou Shall Not Kill!

**Chapter 17: Thou Shall Not Kill!**

"No!" Tsukune yelled out as the girls fought Akasha. The vampire was powerful. The Angel twins had difficulty keeping up. The fighting between the cultists put Tsukune in immediate danger as a stray napalm, from the Athen's catapult, dropped too close to the male.

Moka and Kurumu turned their heads, startled by the sudden shout that escaped their master's lips. The twins were caught off guard and were violently thrown back by Akasha's dreadful youki. Agaha cried out to Kurumu. The elder succubus held back a cry as she could not stop the pain of seeing her daughter at the mercy of a creature she knew well. Bloodriver Akasha was one of the three, great, Dark Lords that had stopped a tragic war from consuming the world in a devastating fire of grim travesty. Her name was one to fear. It was synonymous with death, much as the Kaou's title was in present time. Her family name: Bloodriver, was not just a namesake, it was what they did best...

Akasha stood tall and drew several, straying strands of hair behind her ears as she stayed facing the toppled Angels. "Stay strong Ageha..." She knew it was painful. These things, she knew what they were. It ached her heart. They were souless monsters. Not a drop of their daughters were left in there.

From a distance the yuki onna tribe had spread out among the fighting and systematically killed members of either side. Akuha stayed by Tsurara who toted a deadly looking bazooka. It conveniently fired ice, which melted all evidence of assault from the body of an enemy. A true _clean kill_. Akuha was beginning to understand her process.

"You are destroying the one's dying." The vampire had noticed it, without a doubt. There were many that suffered from the spores, on both sides, that were unable to resist the toxic properties of having a parasitic demon living off youki and ki. Tsurara smirked and proudly toted her bazooka.

"They are known as _higore._" Akuha looked to the ice mistress, in question. Tsurara laughed, modestly, into her sleeve. "Did you think it was a _new_ sickness?" The ice woman mused. "By no means dear. You see this was what Bloodriver had been trying to prevent."

Akuha shook her head in disbelief. Tsurara sighed.

"When the world becomes imbalanced, something steps up to take advantage, and what has advantage in wartime? Sickness." To put it simply. "Higore are parasite from the netherworld that create sickness, predisposed to supernatural happenings. When youkai run amuck, they come about to wallow in it, furthering the total destruction of everything around them." Tsurara motioned her sleeve toward Tsukune who sat on his knees, nearly engulfed by the napalm's fire. "It just needed a catalyst."

Akuha looked up, toward the witch.

"Ah, her...I can assure you these Hanabake are not her creation. You see, abominations beget abominations." Something though, refused to let go of these hanabake. The yuki onna was assured it had something to do with the disappearance ad reappearance of these girls, even her own daughter. "Something from this puzzle is missing..."

"Kurumu!" Moka called to her precious sister, "Protect Tsukune!" This enraged Akasha. How could she care about someone that led to her death, and would force that souless doll to destroy the world?

"Why?" Akasha had not meant for her words to be spoken aloud. Moka narrowed her eyes and turned to face Akasha as Kurumu raced toward Tsukune's side, to protect their _only_ reason for living.

"Without master..." The silver-haired demon sneered and positioned body; spread wings and hands held out, she would challenge the vampire to see whose desire to live was stronger.

The demon plant is driven. She is driven to fight and protect her master: her reason for living! As she fought this woman, this fierce being whose power far raised beyond her own, Moka could not bring herself to listen to that voice that told her to flee from the danger. That instinct to survive, was deftly ignored. She hungered for this: combat. Flying fists, burning youki against her flesh. With every punch, Akasha's heart broke. It was more and more the image of her daughter. Such a love for combat, such a pride to protect the weak. It was much like the vampire elder was when she was that age.

A shout came from a section of the battle, which stopped all distant combat, including Moka and Akasha. From the sky rained deadly hail of feathers which sliced and cut through both sides, indiscriminately. Tsukune looked up, only to see that Ruby was a product of this travesty. Her eyes were rimmed black. The sleepless nights, fearing the plants you helped raised would eat you, kill your lover who you gave your soul to protect.

"No! Ruby!" Tsukune shouted as he went to run toward the death and devastation, but was held back by Kurumu. Such horrifying death. The men and women that fought were skewered by the feathers. Like raining knives, shrapnel of steel, the tore into flesh with such power. Sections of skin would burst open from the aftershock of the feather slicing clean through their bodies.

Mizore felt something wrong. She looked up to Kyouko and tugged at her sleeve. The human turned to face the plant girl who hurried across Karasuuri's top branches. Seeing the sky rip open and rain down such death and devastation, Kyouko got the hint. Something was not right, someone had lost control of the situation. The human would hold Akuma tightly and follow the plant girl into the deep confines of Karasuuri. The human woman reached through the water filled tunnels of the demon tree, following this little, white flower. She had no idea where they were going, and the only light her weak human eyes had were the glowing orbs of fruit.

Suddenly Karasuuri shook violently. Kyuko had almost lost her footing, but held tight to the now, crying, babe and looked around in frantic panic. Mizore stilled and crouched down by a wall. Kyouko moved to sit by her side. The human woman peered over the edge of the wall of vegetation and peered down the well of the demon tree's trunk. There, a vaporous plume rose up and through the tree. Along the walls were several hundred of these glowing fruits, all squirming as if they had life within them. The pods of light burst open with a _squick_ and greenish-white fluids splurt out and smacked against the pulsing walls of living-death incarnate. Writhing tentacles stretched from the pods, screams screeched through the air as these hanabake were born from within the demon tree.

"W-what is this?" Kyouko shivered as she watched these demon born from the depths of the hollowed tree.

Outside Tsukune fought, and those who had stopped fighting could only watch the Kaou's very _human_ reaction to the atrocity of death that filled the night air. Akasha looked to Moka, who she had been grappling. The vampire shook her head softly.

"Why?" the emerald-eyed mistress questioned. "Why do you follow such a path?" Moka turned her ruby eyes to Akahsa, her heart jumping in her chest.

The plant furrowed her brows, the battle drilled deep into her consciousness. "Because Tsukune smiled at me, before I died."

Shuzen's group was scattered, in a panic. They were closest to the rain of feathers. The old elder vampire lord gripped his chest. He had been penetrated, right over the heart. He slipped to his knees and gasped out. Why? He lost... them all. The vampire lord could barely hear Miyabi calling for him to retreat. The blurry eyed lord turned back and saw Kahlua gripped to the man's side as he pulled her into a bridal's lift. She had been struck in several places by the projectiles. The old vampire looked out into the battle field with his blurred sight and saw his mate and daughter hand in hand, smiling, laughing in the echos of his memories. When he looked toward the hill he saw Akuha, standing proudly, her eyes never down.

The vampire felt a hand on his shoulder. He turned to see Kokoa there, holding out her hand, wearing a beautiful kimono. One he had remembered getting her for her tenth birthday. He smiled, and realized he was dead. The vampire stood and held out his hand. He felt the warmth of his baby girl reaching into his grip.

"It's going to be long trip for you daddy." She looked up to her father sadly. He knew and nodded. He had done much wrong in his life, and would pay for each one.

"Will you wait for me? All of you?" He hoped. He loved them dearly, and never wanted them to suffer, yet that was all he brought into their lives. Kokoa smiled and started off, her father holding tight to her hand.

"Course we will. If you didn't have us to take care of you, what would you do?" She snarked, and led him off, away from the battlefield.

**o*o*o*o*o*o*o*o*o**

**(A/N: Beta'd by GrrDraxin)**


	18. Kami Loves You, No Me

**Chapter 18: Kami Loves You, No Me**

Tsukune pushed to his feet and shouted. There was death all around, screaming, pain and horrid maliciousness, from his only lover.

"Ruby!" But no matter how hard he strained his voice, she did not respond. Kurumu held tight and pushed him back. He buried his face into her shoulder and sobbed. "Please Kurumu... stop it. Stop the pain..." He sobbed into her shoulder. The demon plant held her master tightly. She nodded, knowing well what she had to do. She pushed to her feet and allowed her master to slip to the ground.

The plant hybrid pushed off the ground and took to the skies. Ruby turned her mauve eyes toward the motion in the corner. It was them. Their fault! Had she allowed all the plants to burn she would have died in Tsukune's arms that night! They could have been together, he could have been freed from his pain! It was all her fault! Guilty tears streamed from the witch's cheeks. His pain was her fault, he kept her alive though. Let her suffer, just as she let him suffer. But suffer no more. She would free Tsukune, free herself.

Aghea watched, but she could no more. Damn the Athens, damn the cultists! Damn them all! The succubus took to the sky.

"Ageha, no!" Akasha called. She had known the woman for her gentle nature, kind heart, and capable attitude when it came to impossibilities, but this had been too much for her gentle heart. The elder succubus took to the skies after her daughter. Tsukune fell to his knees as he watched his angel fly from him, trying to stop his lover in her tracks. Everything was spiraling down into a sea of madness.

Tsukune coughed out and Moka's head shot up. She looked to the woman. Akasha released the plant's hands. She was no longer her daughter, but she could understand Ageha's actions. This destruction was getting them no where. The spores did not matter, because with or without them it was obvious siding with the demon plants had been the better choice. They got food, shelter, and safety, where as the Athens were trapped underground scavenging, often cannibalizing, just to survive. But those with spores suffered, she had felt it. They feared the starvation they had once suffered, and collectively fought to end it. She felt the hive and what they thought. They thought- nothing. What they felt was the pain and suffering of each individual. It was not the hive. They were mindless plants, controlled by shells that were once people who suffered. In the end it was nothing but a mass phobia toward pain, abandonment, and loneliness.

Moka ran to Tsukune side as he heaved for breathe. He has suffered a long year with the pollen but this was the first season he was without the counteracting fluids of the girls. They were no longer plants, even if they were born from them. They had flesh, they had blood, they were youkai all their own.

The coughs became more violent as the Kaou heaved and finally sat up. Moka's brows furrowed. The blotches of blood at his knees were obvious, his hand and white pants stained. The demon's eyes winced up at the pain. He...he was not strong enough to fight the spores on his own, yet even still. Moka squeezed her eyes shut. Tsukune smiled softly and reached up. He put his hand on her cheek. Her pale skin was stained by the life giving fluid.

"I would do it again, a thousand times over, just to see you...safe." Tsukune collapsed into her arms. His breathing labored. Akasha rushed to her – no the demon's side.

"It's the spores! We can … there is a chance we can save him." The vampire offered.

Kurumu was high in the air and soon found herself joined by the other winged one. The gentle twin held out her hand. Ageha hesitated, and looked to the girl that was once her precious baby girl. The succubus reached out her hand and took Kurumu's.

"I'm going to stop the fighting, okay?" Came her gentle words. Ageha was not sure how she would, but nodded. Kurumu smiled and squeezed her hand gently. Ageha than felt it. It was Kurumu's intent.

The angel wagged her long tail until the spade opened into a carnivorous blossom. Karasuuri shook and howled into the sky with a rumble that beat with the excess of a jet engine. There was silence. The witch floated upon the force of her magic wings. From the tips of the wings a black mucus dripped down, landing onto an invisible surface beneath her. The ooze pooled and began to bubble. The witch had a dark aura over her body and the ooze began to take form and ripple. Her body was weakened by the spores, but she was a witch and could handle it quite well, what had taken her vitality was the _higore_ infection. She was weak after Akuma was born and it allowed the parasite to invade her body, where the spores were typically the dominate force within her form.

The parasite fed off her excess magical energy and gorged, but in return they would expel their digested, purified meal into the host. Where many suffered a terrible magical sepsis, a poisoning of the youki or ki, Ruby was the one-in-a-million chance that the body would absorb and supercharge one's natural abilities.

From the demon tree erupted a mass of winged hanabake. Bright reds and greens lined the lengths of their bodies. It was like watching a dragonfly with the way those wings beat. The ends of their tails were open blossoms filled with teeth, and their heads: faceless tentacle anemones. The winged hanabake fluttered over the battlefield. The buzzing noise was gentle, soothing. Ageha understood what Kurumu was doing. The elder succubus allowed her tail to open its blossom and assist Kurumu's spell. The tiny demon, bright blue hair, and sunny disposition, was doing just what her master asked. She would release a massive, widespread feeling of warmth and send the fighting ones into a state of calm and relaxation. The flying hanabake moved to her command and call. They would help magnify the frequency of the spell.

"No!" Ruby shrieked. The mass lurched at her shout as it swirled at her feet. "No, no, no!" She snapped her tome closed and released it. The book was swallowed up by the now massive, oozing black form behind her. Her wings flapped once and the ooze pumped as it was fed more and more magic. "He loves me! I saved him! I killed for him! And I will do it again!" Perhaps these were the witch's true feelings, or it was the parasite's sepsis filling her emotions with a potent rage.

Down below Moka and Akasha looked up. Everyone rushed to raise the fallen off the field of death. The witch had clearly gone berserk. Tsukune had murmured softly as he was hoisted into Moka's arms.

"_I'm not sorry, for what I have done, but don't let them suffer for my mistakes..." _He sighed softly, the young man struggling against the spores in coughing fits. Akasha pushed Moka away. The demon looked to the vampire.

"Go! There's no time!" Time, was no longer a luxury they had. Even the yuki onna knew they had to retreat. They did their duty and would stand back and finish their job, for their goal was the Kaou, and no other. Pick out the carriers, kill the source.

The higore were inside of Tsukune. For a year the parasite was left dormant because of the hanabake's power. No one knew how, or really why the higore chose him, but they did, and little would they know, he had always carried them, and had always been the risk they all fought to stray from.

**o*o*o*o*o*o*o*o*o*o**

**(A/N: Beta'd by GrrDraxin)**


	19. This is my Soul

**Chapter 19: This is my Soul**

_Help._

A voice murmured through the writhing vines and pulsing walls within Karasuuri. Kyouko turned her head, clearly horrified not only by the voice, but the manner in which it seemed to _beg_ for was scared, but a small hand settled on her leg, a cold hand, but gentle. The human looked down to see Mizore staring up at her with an innocent face a demon plant should be incapable of, but the young human was totally unaware that this was a demon plant, and to her she was like Akuma: a small, innocent child that her cousin protected and loved with all his heart.

The human all but screamed when a slimy vine, coiled with kudzu blooms, reached down toward her from the mucus-slicked ceilings. All around these winged, formless, hanabake swarmed from Karasuuri's insides and poured through a small opening, being birthed into the sky in a fantastic display of locust-like tenacity, or should one compare it to destruction? Regardless of what it was Kyouko would manage to peel open an eye when all had seemed to still. The deafening noise of the swarm escaping had become static in the background, and Kyouko focused on the vine that just hung there...

Ruby would no longer stand for this humiliation, the guilt... As the yuki onna silently filled the ranks of both Athen and Believer as the witch seemed to be driven to her brink by the youki sepsis. Akuha and Tsurara slunk their way toward the center of it all, right toward the Kaou, who was currently being embraced by his strongest angel. Of course Moka was the strongest Angel. She was volatile, calculating and cruel, but above all she had a strong bond with her master because he was always there for her. Kurumu was gentler, and always following her sister's lead, but Moka was proud of Kurumu, because she took charge to take care of their master. The pale-skinned demon looked up, ears twitching as her wings suddenly spread. Akasha turned, a distance away trying to gather what she could from the debris to stabilize Tsukune. Neither females had seen it coming: Akuha and a yuki onna brisking toward the lone angel.

Moka let out a deep hiss. Above her sister took to the call and flapped her wings. The beat sent a signal to all of Kurumu's hanabake to attack. The newly born demon plants dove from the sky and went after any yuki onna present in the crowds. One of the hanabake went straight for Akuha, but the vampire was fast and she leapt into the air. With her hand alone she cut the hanabake clean down the middle. The, still writhing, halves fell to the ground and oozed from tis body a terrible pus-like stench. The vampiric assassin launched straight for the creature which stole her baby sister's face.

"No! Akuha!" Akasha screamed out, but the older sibling would not hesitate again! It had killed Kokoa! Never again! The kaou would die!

_Splurt!_

Tsukune peeled open his eyes weakly, only to see Moka protected him with her own body. The young man blinked as he haplessly reached his arm out to grab Moka. No! Had he lost her again? He began to hyperventilate, but a soothing kiss to his forehead stilled him. The pained kami turned his russet eyes up to his precious angel. She was fine? Than wha-? He heard wingbeats. Tsukune peered passed Moka's shoulder to see Kurumu hovering above them. Moka shrugged the weight off her body and Tsukune could only see the form of the woman he had seen and apologized to, before, now slumped on the ground, barely alive.

What he had not seen was what his Kurumu had done. She had dove down as what was left of the split hanabake grappled Akuha's legs to slow her, caught her from behind with her still open blossom. The blossom had a deadly set of fangs that allowed their victim to be trapped, like a hound's bite into the flesh of its prey. Kurumu's tail was strong, as was her youki. The angels were twins, so they shared many aspects. When Kurumu's tail struck, a burst of youki escaped the tube of her tail's blossom and gore into Akuha's back. The sickening splurt was the sound of Akuha's insides being blended from the sheer force of impact the youki's vibrations had against her body. She was still alive though, but not for long.

Moka lay Tsukune down, the young man unable to move, and losing his ability to speak as he became choked by his own blood: his angels moved in on the stunted Akuha. Given a chance she would likely heal from her wounds, but she had seen what they done to Kokoa and her before, they would be sure to finish the job... Akasha rushed back toward Tsukune as Ageha fluttered down.

"Bloodriver!" The elder succubus called. Akasha nodded and turned to the girls.

"What's more important to you?" She shouted. This made the girls pause. Their master of course. Akasha motioned to Tsukune, and the girls would drop everything and rush to his side.

_Tsk tsk tsk..._

The sound would come from the shadows as Tsurara stepped from the darkness, her hand over her chest. "So quick to switch sides Bloodriver, Kurono." Ageha turned a sour look upon the yuki onna. They had always had a rivalry, but this was neither here, nor there.

"Shirayuki!" Akasha called. "Please!" But Akasha's words were shocked from her mouth when the yuki onna formed a massive scythe of ice which swung effortlessly and took out several of Kurumu's hanabake, which had attempted to swarm her.

"Enough!" The yuki onna commanded in a strong, yet stoic voice. Akuha pushed herself to a standing position. She would be fine, nothing she could not regenerate after the near death experience the hana-girls had offered her. "I will not stand for it any longer! That boy is infested with the higore Bloodriver. Don't tell me you will sit there, and let him live?"

Ageha looked to Akasha to question the validity of the accusation. Akasha turned away. "Wait," the elder succubus called. "H-how do you know, certainly-" She did not have the heart to take the source of her daughter's life. He had brought her back and she lived for him and lived...happily...

_Help..._

The voice called to Kyouko again. She swallowed and looked down as some vines curled up, offering her a place to lay Akuma. The human looked to Mizore who stood tip-toe and patted into the little nest of vines, babbling something incoherently. Aurora eyes turned up to the human, content with what her big sister, Karasuuri, offered. Kyouko carefully lay the calmed, but still awake, Akuma into the bassinet of vines. The human walked to the edge of the platform. Underfoot there seemed to be a mix of earth and concrete, of which she hardly remembers. Kyouko peered over the edge of the platform and could see the sharp drop below.

She felt something touch her body and jumped, staggering back, but said touch wrapped securely, gently, around her body. Karasuuri's vine wrapped around her body. Kyouko would nod and look up.

"If you help Tsukki..."

_Master's fate is sealed._

"What?" Kyouko looked up, but before she could react she found herself unable to speak, breathe for the demon tree had forced a large, slicked vine into her mouth. The human struggled, but the vine pulsed and pushed further until it broke passed her throat, which tried to gag and cough the intrusion out, but to no avail. Tears spilled from the human's eyes, not out of pain, but fear.

_I will never break master's will and kill you, but his seed must be spread._

Kyouko felt heavy. Her knees buckled beneath her weight, but Karasuuri's vines held her up.

_Shh...sleep..._

And so Kyouko did. She fell limp in Karasauri's grip, mind only thinking of one thing as it faded into a deep, soothing sleep encouraged by the demon plant's fluids.

_Tsukki..._

**o*o*o*o*o*o*o*o***

**(A/N: Beta'd by GrrDraxin)**


	20. Lucifer

**Chapter 20: Lucifer**

The sun fell over the horizon and littered the open fields of death and carnage with a penetrative blood crimson and fire orange. Bodies of the Athens and Cultists lay unrecognizable by either side as they were torn to bits, cut, and ripped open by the witch's magical assault and damage caused by their own weapons of hatred. In the end they looked the same, and when buried underground they would all be nothing more then rotting lumps of meat. Akasha fought to call away all those still fighting, but many had turned against her. The Athens, the very ones that woke her and sought to use her as a weapon deemed her a traitor for holding the dying kami and cradling the demon in her arms, but on the otherside cultists sought to pry their lord and savior from the demon that was sent to kill their last shred of hope in the empty world they lived in.

"You deserve no less vampire." The yuki onna, Tsurara, spoke heartlessly as the only one that stood by the vampire was Ageha. The succubus elder fought to keep the angry mob at bay.

Tusrara stood nearby with her weapon and turned it toward the kami. Akasha narrowed her eyes at the ice mistress.

"And on whose side would you have stood?" The vampiress questioned, finding herself boxed into a corner with the Kaou in arm. What could she do? Both sides deemed her unfit to live and to kill them would only further the suffering wrought by this useless fighting.

Tsurara raised a brow and placed the semi-conscious Kaou in the sights of her scope. "I have, from the beginning, been on my people's side, and no one else's."

"No! I won't let you take it from her!" The vampire screamed, overcome by emotion. No more death, no more suffering! She would not allow Tsurara to kill needlessly because killing only beget more killing!

Akasha charged at the yuki onna, having left Tsukune in the arms of the succubus elder. Ageha looked up to Kurumu as she flew around and calmed all of the in-fighting, and for this she was relieved, but the stronger humans and youkai resisted and had turned against Akasha. When the dark lord charged, the crowd roared angrily and attacked the traitor, interloper, murderer, sympathizer, and any other word they would shout at her, which were far less pleasant then compared to.

Tsukune was bleary eyed and watched helplessly as Akasha charged into battle with the yuki onna. He felt his face pressed into the bust of the succubus. It was warm and would be comforting if not for the searing fire that burned through his chest. He could not word the pain, for it was so overwhelming it choked him. He began to regret. No he did not regret all he did, because he was sure he would do it again, do anything to protect the girls and make them happy, no matter the cost to his body.

Tsukune regretted being unable to save them from his weakness. He regretted not being able to stop these events from reaching its boiling point, and he regrets being unable to save Ruby from herself. His russet eyes drew skyward. Ruby was slowly being eaten by the mass of sludge that hovered around her form. The mass coiled around her legs and slowly pulled her in. He could not hear her shouting, but he could feel it, that link. He had been able to feel it for a while now. That loneliness, the regret, the sorrow that pulled from all those connected through the hanabake. She did not deserve this, none of them deserved to be unhappy. He turned his eyes to Ageha, body shifted a bit in her arms.

The elder succubus looked down to him. "Don't move..." She gently warned, only to gasp when she saw tears rolling down his eyes. His body was limp in hers, but he was clearly still alive. What as wrong? Tsukune's eyes moved and crawled toward his lover's form. Ageha followed his gaze and gasped in horror. "Akasha-chan!" The succubus pulled Tsukune against her form.

Tsurara and Akasha had caught one another in a dangerous grapple. The ice mistress had stretched her claws and caught the vampire by her side, but the vampire's youki had tore through the ice woman's kimono and flesh, tearing cuts into her shoulders. Many Athens and Cultists around them lay dead, the women unable to do anymore then defend themselves against the unreasonable hatred that stemmed from a misunderstanding toward their fellow man and fellow youkai. The two youkai looked up.

Overhead the ooze had finally swallowed the witch. Moka and Kurumu had taken to the sky, Akuha's body completely ravaged by Moka's Suisen and Kurumu's Diona which had been newly born from Karasuuri. The sisters hissed at the creature overhead.

The black ooze wrapped around Ruby's from and her wings went from beautiful ebony and emerald feathers to foul drapes of oozing flesh that splattered everytime she flapped them. Her beautiful hair was turned into a flowing mass of poison as her body was shamelessly revealed by the mass of youki destroyed anything organic on her body: book, clothing, leather, and feather charms. Soon all that remained was her flesh, blotched by this new form. Her ribs were broken and reformed by the higore that filled her boy with this incredible power.

The shattered bones healed, which left extra bone growth in her body. They healed and shattered in repetition until they were multiplied enough to form new limbs which speared from her sides. This continued until she had four arms, six wings, and her face became conclave as she reformed her muscle and skeletal structure completely. It was a horrifying sight. The higore had taken the witch's power and amplified them to an uncontrollable point.

The witch had activated her physical transmutation. Transmutation was a common ability in witches, but to transmutate a body one needed unimaginable power and force or suffer the chance of never being human again. In fact many _fantastical_ creatures seen around the world like the Chupacabra or Jersey Devil are witches that transformed into animal shapes and were unable to return due to their inexperience. Such a transmutations took years to master and even than there were terrible risks that came with it: like losing one's mind to the animal or beast.

The horrendous roar that burned through the witch's throat was proof enough her mind and humanity were lost.

**o*o*o*o*o*o*o*o**

**(Beta'd by GrrDraxin)**


	21. Repentance

**Chapter 21: Repentance**

"No!" Akasha pushed Tsurara to the ground with minimal effort and ran toward the center of the crowd. Those that fought against her were pushed to the ground or killed were they aggressive enough. Ageha held Tsukune in her arms, but would eventually be forced to help him to his feet. Tsurara looked up into the sky, horrified by the sight she saw. All this time she had though Tsukune to be not only the carrier of the higore, but the incubator. He had not been the incubator, the witch had been!

It explained everything, almost everything. The Ice maiden had no idea that the higore were a result of Tsukune's connections. He had, in all considerations, handed himself to the other side. When he first came into contact with Ruby his strong spirit paths allowed the youki to flow into his being. This allowed for the higore to cross over and nest within the boy's veins. In greater detail, outside of the discrepancies between man and religion: it had been the hanabake. He had been attacked by the original hoard strain and as a result he was infected.

Higore do not affect humans in the same manner they effect youkai, especially humans with little or no supernatural prowess. Tsukune was presumed to have none. He was the common of all commonality. Tsukune was bland, listless and plain, but beneath that was an open heart that easily accepted others for who and what they were. He was a saint. The saint was corrupted by the visions of purity carried by his winged angel. The hanabake spores protected Tsukune. The injections from Samhain over his time of exposure kept him safe, but when they were reborn, the boy lost his only line of defense and the higore spores awoke and spread. Without the spores he was slowly being overwhelmed by the higore.

Most humans were not affected by the higore, but Tsukune's body harbored demon energy now thanks to the spores and without Samhain's parasite spores actively present within him, it left only the weaker spores of the roving hanabake breeds. He coughed and his lifeforce was evident in the pool of blood at his feet. The transmutated Ruby looked down at the force that hit her chest. Dark, violet eyes drew across the crowds of dead, dying and still fighting to see Tsurara with her bazooka on shoulder.

The ice spike sat embedded in the witch's shoulder. Tsurara smirked. "Tsurara no!" Akasha shouted and moved to run toward the ice maiden. Tsurara stood and lowered her weapon as she offered the vampire a warm smile.

The blood on her body had since frozen over, and her pale skin only seemed to grow ever more under the influence of the silver moon. "You allow yourselves to be fooled. If we do not fight for what we believe in, we die. And when we do, yet still we suffer. I wonder what would have happened, had we done nothing?" The yuki onna wondered.

"No!" Akasha rushed to her side, but the ground shook and from it erupted a miasma of shadow that filled the surrounding terrain with a hazardous fume. The vampire's strong senses deemed her, and those around, to be in mortal danger. The pink-haired Dark Lord pulled her sleeve over her nose and coughed.

Tsurara stood with a smile on her face, as if she had accomplished her life's goal. The miasma rose and formed into a solid shape that resembled a beastly Raven that grew to the size of a Behemoth with spines running down its length. The jagged edges of its charcoal-black beak ground against the air when it bellowed a rumbling _caw_ that shook the very air around them. Those fast enough fled from the miasma and the frightening demon bird before it was able to catch them. Its talons dug against the ground and the summoned bird had raked its talons into the ice woman's body and pinned her to the ground.

Tsurara stared up passed the bird to the witch. The smile never left her face as the blood began to drain from her lips and down her pale throat. The beastly bird lowered its head and gored the maiden. Its beak sliced through her robes and skin like a machete through the limp thickets of a jungle wall. Guts and snow-white skin were splattered across the concrete ground in gnarled twists of blood and ice-cold violence.

Miyabi had fled from the main fields of battle into the old buildings the Athens used to secretly travel underground, but the hanabake had finally broke through their year long defenses and infiltrated the stone and steel walls. Many lay dead and bodies half eaten were discarded along banisters and half wedged between the doors and steps of the stairwells.

Miyabi and Kahlua were pushed into a corner. The vampire was wounded and at her limit with her vampiric powers. She laid in Miyabi's arms as he sat in a corner panting from exhaustion. The halls outside of the office room they hunkered down in were thickly splattered with the organic spew of the demon plants. Both of her earrings were discarded and her arms lay useless against her body. The bladed wings were frayed and now jagged hunks of tanned skin. Her dark eyes danced up toward Miyabi. In the male's fist was some sort of radio device. A cigarette, nearly burnt to its filter, hung from his lips. He trembled as he fingered the radio's dials.

"M...Miyabi-kun..." The vampire rasped. Miyabi inhaled a final drag before discarding the butt. He shifted and carefully pulled his wounded girl against his warm body. She was so cold.

"Shh, babe, don't worry. I'll protect you." His eyes shot up when a shriek was heard in the hall. The hanabake would occasionally retreat when they were overwhelmed by the pair, but they were running out of fuel in what seemed to be an endless swarm of chaos. Kahlua whimpered and nodded. She shivered. Why did Miyabi risk himself?

She was getting sick, just like Akasha-sama was. Why did he continue to protect her? She felt Miyabi pull her closer and bury his face in her silver hair. He held the device in his hand and spoke with his lips brushing against the vampire's ear.

"Hey...babe, I don't wanna leave your side, but things are dire." He softly murmured. Kahlua eyed the radio and slowly began to realize, in the haze of her pain and exhaustion. She shook her head and pushed her body closer to his.

"No..." She pushed her body further against his. "We'll be … always okay Miyabi-kun? You promised!" She coughed from the exertion. Miyabi soothed his love and dialed in the number. It was no radio in his hand, but a proxy detonator.

"Sure babe, always." He reassured and pressed the switch.

The tower went up in a fantastic display of light and sound. Everything within a five mile radius had been taken out. The amount of explosives Miyabi had set up, was enough to evaporate all the resident hanabake and their spores. The spores were easily set to fire and would not survive the blaze. The two stayed in each other's arms, always. It was the only way Miyabi knew to repent for being unable to save Kahlua's sisters, or protect Kahlua. He destroyed it all and made sure nothing could ever hurt Kahlua again.

**o*o*o*o*o*o*o*o**

**(A/N: Beta'd by GrrDraxin)**


	22. Rapture of the Heart

**Chapter 22: Rapture of the Heart**

The icicle which had penetrated the flesh of the winged ayashi above did not melt, but instead was absorbed into her form. Wings flapped once and a storm of black dust fluttered from her form. The feathers which molted from her wings turned into ash at the touch of the ooze that leaked from her nude, pale skin. Ageha looked to Akasha and shook her head.

"W-we can't let this continue!" The elder succubus called.

Akahsa sighed away from Tsurara's death. She had just up and gave up? Why could she not understand that if they did nothing it would have been worse? But now the vampire came to wonder what could have been worse then what they suffered now? What could have been worse?

"_Ruby..."_ Tsukune rasped out. Around the remaining group hanabake began to shriek. Moka and Kurumu growled viciously and circled the air with their hanabake following pace.

Ageha and Akasha turned their attention to the boy.

"_Ruby...save her. I-" _He wretched up another small puddle of blood from his mouth. The thick substance splattered onto the concrete ground, marring his once perfect, white pants. "_I could not, she still...like Moka, and Kurumu..."_ He was no fool, though he was ignorant, naïve to the troubles faced by the common man because of his isolation, he knew well that Moka and Kurumu, because of him, turned into these monstrous creatures.

Nothing could prepare his heart for when he found this out. It was the day he had completely snapped. He suffered their deaths and his heart was torn asunder by the brutality their ends left in his scattered memory. What had hit him the hardest was when they returned, not as the women he knew, but as demonic plants. He had turned them into monsters! Now Ruby was going to suffer the same fate! He couldn't handle it.

"_**Ruby!**_" Tsukune screamed at the top of his lungs before he fell lip in Ageha's embrace.

"Ageha-san let him-!" Before Akasha could call her warning out to the succubus a hanabake, of the Suisen class, lunged at her body and pinned the succubus elder to the ground. The protective lion plant thought itself a guard and would do what it took to protect its human and youkai wards.

Akasha felt a chilling youki invade the surrounding air. It had easily overpowered her own in a shocking feat of improbable display. The dark lord thought herself, knew herself, to be one of the strongest youkai in the world because of her blood, but this witch, not even a full human nor full youkai: this border being... She was ousted in levels of strength by a witch, barely a sixteenth of her own age!

Above the witch floated in the air of the higore increased youki. The orbs of ooze that formed from the witch seemed to float into the air and hold will of their own as they would drift toward Karasuuri. Moka and Kurumu snarled at the witch, but a pulse of youki put the pair in their place. Ruby dove into the collective mind of youkai, human and plant and forced her will upon it. She would not allow those demons to make Tsukune feel as if it was his fault. It was not, it never was. She was to be blamed for everything! Yet he burdened the blame and burdened his body and soul with a sickness that would take many lives to cleanse... A lavender eye turned down to the two hanabake girls that had take the title of angel. If they were angels, and Tsukune was their god, she was their goddess and would no longer be pushed from the hive of demons that are, rightfully, hers. They were her masters and she would take charge. No longer would she allow this disobedience to continue.

_Vile plants heed my commands!_

The witch bellowed into the collective mind of the hives.

_Devour them all, they will not be allowed to take what is rightfully mine!_

A glare was offered to the defiant silver-haired angel. The angel's snarls slowly died down on her lips. She was not the vampire she once was, no she was a hanabake. She may have looked human, and behaved as such on occasion, this did not change the fact of the matter that the angel was a hanabake. Kurumu furrowed her brows and lowered her flight height and looked to her sister. Moka flapped her wings to raise her form higher into the air. She turned to face the field of battle and shrieked out in a commanding tone. Kurumu's daemon tipped ears twitched at her pod-kin's command and she would follow the more confident leadership of her sibling. The flower angel inhaled sharply and shrieked out toward her hanabake.

Suisen, Diona and other hanabake alike moved onto the attack. Those not within range would receive the command down the chained connection. The beast went on the assault and anything moving was attacked and slaughtered.

Karasuuri shifted and bellowed out. Her body shook and one by one the glowing orbs fell from her trunk, onto the ground. The surrounding earth was pummeled into oblivion as deep craters formed under the weight of the high falling fruits. Inside the plant life was ever present. The coiled vines of the demon tree raised up as it carried two, very important passengers.

_Akuma-chan... can't you see?_

The demon tree spoke to the boy, through Kyouko's heart. It was the only way the tree could avoid detection within the hivemind.

_I raised her like a daughter and this is what she has done to me... your auntie will be with you to protect you. She is pure, but your mother and father are tainted._

The child whined and clutched to Kyouko, who was slowly being assimilated into the tree. Karasuuri had forced her seeds into Kyouko and the woman was not strong enough to defend against the mind altering influence of the mother plant. Akuma had seen it all. Karasuuri was a combined entity of the corpses of Jaku and Oyakata, the pumpkin hanabake defeated by Kahlua and Miyabi a year prior and the remains of Ruby's master. Karasuuri watched as it grew. It watched the hanabake shape their own will because Ruby lost her will to control them and obsessed over the boy. Akuma looked up to his auntie's blank face. Her mind had been taken by the plant, but he still hoped she was somewhere in there to comfort his fears. He cooed and reached up to her face.

Kyouko's hollowed out shell moved under the influence of the vines that coursed through her veins. Her lips pulled back in a dark smile as she cradled the boy.

_**'Don't worry Akuma-tan."**_ The shell reassured. "**_Moka,Kurumu, Mizore and I still love you and will protect you, our treaure."_** As if to reaffirm this little Mizore peered up over Kyouko's knee. A length of vine reached out and stroked the tiny, white hana's cheek. Akuma cooed at his auntie and nuzzled into her.

The shell rocked the boy soothingly and sung a soft lullaby, but this was no ordinary lullaby. It was a spoken spell. Karasuuri was to call out the true strength of the hanabake in one last hurrah, for she would get her revenge and be able to pass into hell with her grudge sated. Tsukune would not be allowed to win, and live beyond her...

**(A/N: "Do nothing and risk letting life pass you by, but do too much and risk life taking you for a ride."**

**Beta'd by GrrDraxin**

**B/N: "The moral would rather be the flight to hell is boarded in (or on) good intentions.")**


	23. Impermissible Grief of the Fallen's Tear

**Chapter 23: Impermissible Grief of the Fallen's Tears**

Akuma could do nothing but be soothed by the grievous lullaby that would come to play part in the death of millions. Not only could the hanabake feel the song roll through their collective consciousness, but those who had allowed their minds and bodies to link themselves to the monstrous plants that had taken over the world faster than the humans were ever able when they first set foot on the earth.

Those that opposed the hanabake's power soon found themselves with their backs to the wall. Cowards that stood among the fearless would fall to their knees and beg for their lives. Suisen were blindly protective and unwittingly under the command of their symbiotic human-hosts.

"Kill them all!" Their humans would call, and under such commands the corrupt plants would obey. They would lunge at those who gave in and tore them to pieces between each other while the Diona would corral the cowards. Those who sought to flee from combat were caught in the fringes by the hybrid hanabake born from human cultivation.

Karasuuri watched from above. Each floating, orange gourd upon her body and vines were like eyes and would survey the carnage. Hanabake and human alike tore into each others flesh without regard for mercy.

Akasha could only watch in horror as enemy and ally alike fell to the other's blade. She clutched the bleeding lord's body. The hanabake had reached over a hundred in number and seemed to continue to grow. They poured into the streets from the sewers and slithered in from between the fallen remnants of the former capital city. They came in many shapes and sizes, due to much of their human influence. The infected humans had managed to cultivate the plants and create a new existence between the monster plants and sickened humans. They had a symbiotic relationship that humans once held with the mother earth. Having regained these connections the humans would not give that up so easily for a few spoiled nobles and sycophants.

Akasha had to hold back a scream when two, fighting hanabake tore a human in half. She pulled Tsukune against her chest in reaction. Ageha tried to fight off as many as she could, but it was overwhelming. No one was of sound mind anymore! The world was at its edge. Moka looked down from her commanding post, only to spot that youkai bitch roving her hands damned scent all over her master. A hiss ripped from her throat as the hana angel lowered to herself to the ground. When she landed, she would keep her wings held over her head to keep an intimidating stance.

Like the serpent at the Tree of Knowledge, Moka slithered between the hanabake and infected humans, her body untouched by their fighting as both groups knew their place.

"Moka!" Akasha called to the demon plant with her daughter's face. The plant leaned in close until her face was to Akasha's. "Please Moka, can't you see what you are doing! Can't you understand the insanity of it all? Please, come to your senses, come ...come home." She begged, holding he bleeding Kaou.

The demon plant stared at this pale-faced woman. Something in her genetic memories would stir, but it was nothing good. Nothing but dark, bleeding memories filled with pain. The ruby-eyed angel exhaled and opened her mouth suggestively as she raised a finger and placed it to her lip.

"H-how can you say that – okaasama?" The plant demon questioned. The only thing she could remember was loneliness until her master had come into her life. To her Tsukune was the one that gave birth to her. Without him she would have remained in that darkness.

Moka reached out and stroked the vampire's cheek. Akasha shuddered. Ageha turned to see the angel inches from Akasha. "No, Akasha, damn you!" Ageha tried to lunge forward and down the angel that finally had decided to leave the safety of the heavens and fall to earth.

The succubus mistress soon found her wrists tightly wrapped by the Diona's vines. The busty succubus let out a shout when the vines' thorns cut into her delicate wrists. More tendrils wrapped around her wrist and yanked hard, pinning her in place. Ageha screamed and fought, trying to extend her demonic claws and rend the fibrous plant limbs, but they pulled taut. Kurumu twitched her ears as she looked down to the ground, her swarm of Diona having surrounded Ageha. The tiny angel saw that her twin busied herself with the other youkai, the one who had been a thorn in her side as of late. Those rebels caused their master nothing but trouble. Without the spores they could nor feel the connection they were part of.

Kurumu made motion to land, but the way her sister glanced up at her, it gave clear order and indication that her sibling wished her to wait. Kurumu narrowed her violet eyes, but did so and continued to circle the warring creatures. Moka turned to peer into those warm, emerald eyes, which were the polar opposite of her cold, ruby orbs. Moka leaned forward until her lips almost touched Akasha's. The demon plant smirked.

"You..." Moka crooned. "Have only you to blame, woman." The cold words stung the vampiress. Akasha tried to deny it and she tried to shake her head, but Moka held her cheeks with her left hand. "Because of you there is an emptiness, here." The hanabake took the vampire's hand and pressed it to her breast, where no heart beat. The action terrified Akasha.

It only worked to assert the fear that her daughter was dead. "No..." The vampire gasped out in broken sobs as she tried to lurch her hand away, but the hana held tight. Akasha's chest heaved with sobs.

"It was your fault. Darkness was all I felt in that life, but – I thank you." Moka released Akasha's hand and smiled warmly. She raised her hands to grasp the vampire's face. "Because without your negligence I would have never been born to my master." A cheshire grin curled over the plant's lips.

Akasha's eyes widened as a wet gasp escaped her throat. Moka leaned forward and kissed Akasha's lips. A final farewell as the vampire's head slid from her neck. Moka's wings had pushed forward and the fleshy membrane, hardened with the oozing slick of her organic secretions. The wing hardened into a deadly weapon. Moka stood with an accomplished smile on her face as she gently clasped the head in her hands, the blood rushing from her exposed orifice.

"How sad... you lived in the past for so long. So I free you." Moka curled up her silver brow and tossed the head aside before she moved to her knees and made motion to lay herself over Tsukune.

Above the tar-covered body of the mutated witch landed on the clear grounds. A pool of blood underfoot would meet the witch queen as she landed. Her bare feet touched to the maroon, almost black, pool of life. Her twisted form was neigh unrecognizable from her former state. Step by step she would march forward where Moka hover over her master. When the blood no longer carried the witch's steps. A sticky, tar-like substance underfoot would aggressively latch to the asphalt and snap every time she raised her foot to take a step. Behind her the black wings dripped, both just excretions from the higore's take over of her mutilated body and mind.

Moka looked back at the witch queen and let out a hiss.


	24. Vile Diligence

**Chapter 24: Vile Diligence**

Moka looked back at the witch queen and let out a hiss.

Ruby raised her head, glaring out from her black hair, which stuck to her face, haloing her features with a morbid degeneration. While Moka spat animalistic responses to the queen's approach, Kurumu dealt with Ageha. The blue hana fluttered overhead, and like an innocent child she would watch as the succubus fought and struggled. Kurumu glided down and shifted her wings as she landed to perch on a collapsed lamppost.

"K-kurumu..." Though Ageha knew this was not her daughter, nor would it ever be. "Please...Ahh!" The Diona that had her bound would run themselves in opposites direction of their grip, determined to draw and quarter the sex-driven beast.

The smaller angel folded in her wings as she sat in a delicate position on the cold, metal rod. She pressed her fingers to her lips as she watched the succubus be stretched to her limits by the ravenous plants. The woman looked a lot like she, but it was a youkai proper. She was not a half plant, a mutant of her master's love and queen's hatred. She was not naïve, nor was her sister. They were aware of the queen hating them, and they being born of their master's desperate need for their company. She looked over to where her sister was arched like a cat hissing at the master's mistress.

"Those breasts make you useful." Ageha swallowed at Kurumu's words. The angel reached her hand up to cup her breast as if to visualize her words. "But – plants have no need for breasts, only to please master with." And he had mistress. She looked down to Ageha whose eyes filled with tears.

"Please!" Ageha screamed. "I'll do anything!" Anything was better than death, than this pain. The Diona pulled harder and harder. The monster felt as if her spine would be split as it cracked and stretched at the will of the demon plants. Kurumu raised a brow at her words. The angel jumped from her spot, landing on the concrete with her bare feet, not at all minding the broken glass and twisted metal.

Kurumu laughed softly into her hand, a child's tittering and diabolical musings. "Any-thing~?" She cooed. The tiny hana crouched and leaned her arms to cross on the top of her knees, settling her head on top. "I want your eggs." the succubus was fertile, and she could sense the life inside of her. The woman must have recently copulated successfully. With this she could create more siblings for her master's cause.

"Anything..." Ageha's voice was hoarse from screaming, her body numb from the pain. Ageha sighed as she felt slack in the bindings and her body slowly being lowered to the ground. Tear-filled eyes were blinked clear of the blur, only for the vision of her former daughter standing above her to become clear.

"Than, give me your eggs." Kurumu giggled, tilting her head. Ageha's eyes widened at the implication. A ear ripping shriek was heard as the Diona's vines bore into Ageha's body. They snaked through her available orifices searching for their prize. With a sickening snap the succubus' body arched as her eyes rolled to the back of her skull, her screams choked by the thick, viscous tentacles. They had found their prizes and tightly wrapped their greedy lengths around the life carrying orbs of muscle. The slime-covered tentacles than retreated, their reward in limb. Kurumu held out her hands as they were placed in her hold. She smiled brightly as Ageha's body was dropped, lifeless, to the ground.

Moka hovered herself over Tsukune's body. His breathing had slowed to a near halt, his form cold and face pal. Ruby reached out her hand and grabbed a chunk of Moka's silver hair, harshly pulling her so the ruby-eyed hana would look to the face of the mistress. Moka hissed, but reluctantly looked to Ruby.

"_**There is nothing more you can do child. Look at my love, my precious Tsukune, your precious master. Look at what they have done to him." **_ The plant was reluctant to heed the mistress' demand. "_**Look!"**_ She roared, forcing Moka to turned her head to the dying lord.

The hanabake squeezed her eyes closed. She could not cry, but she could feel the agony shift through the hive as their one and true master was wilting away like he was one of them, a plant.

"Master..." Moka weakly sobbed as she sat knelt before her mistress, held in place by her hair.

"_**You listen, you listen to me you vile creature. I own this hive and you will obey." **_ Moka nodded to her mistress. "_**Get Akuma and Mizore, and protect them." **_ Moka furrowed her brows and looked up to Ruby. "_**Protect the people Tsukune loved so much." **_Ruby released the vampire and took to the sky. She would end it. Karasuuri thought herself separate from the hivemind, but Ruby felt it. She felt her oyakatasama...

In the plant Mizore watched fearfully as Kyouko was manipulated by Karasuuri. That was no Uri's baby... that was Tsukune's She twisted her tiny fists into her white dress as she shyly watched. She closed her eyes, feeling her big sisters.

"No!" Mizore squeezed her eyes closed, the chibi angel summoning her moon flowers. The tiny vines erupted outward at an unsuspecting Kyouko. Kyouko shouted as she was pushed off the ledge, Akuma held tightly in her arms.

_No! _

Karasuuri shouted as, when Kyouko was pushed from the ledge, the vines detached from Kyouko's body.

_Mizore, you traitor!_

Mizore stood to her feet as Karasuuri's vines crawled toward the chibi angel. The little, white flower spat out her tongue and blew a hateful raspberry.

"I don't follow you! I follow the hive's will! You are not the hive! We all are!" The little flower held up her hand and was pulled to safety by her curls of kudzu tendrils. Karasuuri shrieked as Mizore made a break for it down her trunk with the human girl and child.

Out in the chaotic stirs of battle Moka stood and spread her wings. Her Suisen came to rest by Tsukune's body, guarding it from defilers still left alive. Moka roared out, reaching out to her sister. The twins shrieked into the air, which carried over the snarling hisses of the lesser hanabake.

The twins began to shed their human skins. They twisted and shifted as their body sized doubled. Their armored bodies were made of tightly twisted tendons of tendrils. They came together to form a single Hanabake that stood stories tall. The fearsome sight of their original form, prior to their rebirth. The infected dropped to their knees in praise while the ATHENs were riddled with untold horror. They had never seen a hanabake of that size before. The intelligence it carried in its glassy eyes was gut wrenching.

She would protect the people her master loved.

Stepping over those with their heads bowed she marched through the swarms of worshippers and snapped up gaggles of ATHENs, spraying the grounds of Karasuuri's rest with the blood of the hive's enemy. Worshipers called praise to the plant angel. Forever would they serve the monster for it protected them from the fear of thinking for themselves. The hivemind cannot be broken, they refused to let it break, and lose this connection to nature that they had lost so long ago...


	25. My Will Be Done

**Chapter 25: My Will Be Done**

Moka and Kurumu shed their human skin for the sake of their master's will. Praise be to the Angels of kami. They wished not to live as they once had. They had no will to follow, for thinking for oneself came with the heavy cost of responsibility. The Athens told them time and time again. They knew not what they asked for. These demons were but callous creatures that fed off the body and mind, but the Believers would hear no such things because they felt the love of their protectors. They felt a safety with them that they did not feel among the cold Athens who depended on technology, which had failed them once before. They world was thrust into war by humans fearing the hanabake of olde. They killed each other and used these arms and tactics of war, nearly wiping out both human and youkai existence.

The Believers would fall to their knees, faces to the ground, and pray to the mighty Samhain, reborn of kami's will to protect them, to love them. There the black-winged, malformed beast stood.

"Fear not..." The witch spoke as the tar that fled from her body sank and rose from the ground, trapping Athens near and far, constricting them where they stood. "This day shall come to pass where kami shall give you rest from the sorrow which I had wrought upon you, the fear and bondage of servitude. No longer shall Paradise be oppressed by you, oyakata-sama because you are no longer my lord and master. I shall cut you down so you no longer weaken the resolve of my master, my lover's nations!"

Samhain roared out as the massive red hanabake, a sight not seen for over two years, rose to her hind legs and spread its tendrils, constructing a pair of wings from the flesh of its stems and flowers. A monstrous flap would send the mighty beast into the clouds, onto the most high. The worshippers stood, hearing the cries of the one chosen by kami himself.

The Athens that would not submit, the ones who would not bow their heads were killed: crushed by the force of Ruby's insanity. "Both sides of the East and West..." The witch hissed as her lavender eyes burned with an unconstrained hatred of self, brought hell onto the earth so that they could see what their constant taunting and selfish acts had done.

Those who were safe from the field where the Dark Lords rode, and only one remained, could only watch as Karasuuri stood to be challenged by Samhain as the sun rose behind the witch. Soon the Covenants arrived to all sides of battle. Those who followed the teachings of selflessness of Saint Marin gathered among the impoverished and helped them as according to the gospel of teachings: do not harm, but good upon your fellow, be they in belief or hate. To teach love, one must love your enemy. Yukari and her mother were brought in by the Siren, the young witch guarded for she brought the direct command and word of kami straight from the field of death.

"He protected me when he did not have to, desu." Were the young witch's words, which inspired both sides to see the fault of their age. She was young and could easily see past her fear, what they feared.

At the field of death the remaining Lord of Darkness would hold advantage and summon the hoards of Athen to submit. There was nothing wrong with bowing your head to one who was right. Old Fuhai had watched as the younger Lords of Darkness feared the death they were so near, but the necromancer did not fear death, but feared so many returning from it. The daughters of the youkai women, of whom were the strongest he had ever seen born, had surpassed death on their own, without the help of magic.

The Athens would submit. Had they a choice? It was either die, or live. The choice was no deeper than that for the reasons they had to fight were selfish and their own. The worshipers fought to be kept isolated, but the words of the kami slowly trickled down the ranks.

"_I did not want to be alone anymore, so I left Paradise to see you all."_ There were those who could not stop the tears as they watched the kami suffer. How long had he been suffering? They were so lost in their own intoxications of laziness that they had not known, nor had they cared to know.

They could no longer simply sit by and allow a kami to tell them what to do.

"Destroy her!" The worshippers called, to the surprise of the Athens. The worshippers stood and gathered their weapons. Bits of wood and oil offered by the obedient hanabake Suisen.

"Set fire to the Tree!"

They cried for justice. Once she was the tree that offered them the knowledge to grow tree on their own, to create medicine. They no longer needed the corrupt vanity of their kami's suffering. They would work on their own to provide for their fate. Witches that had long served the kami's will would arrive from not only parts of what remained of Southern Japan, but the far seas. They had known of the suffering and had long prepared. They knew what Karasuuri was and the abomination had to be stopped once and for all. The atrocity of nature was to be set ablaze and sent to its death.

The people rose against Karasuuri, who had turned her back to the people she had provided for. Youkai and Human alike felt betrayed. Kami had given them everything, and Karasuuri had taken him away. They would do kami's will and destroy the monstrous plant.

Inside Karasuuri Mizore stood in front of Kyouko who fearfully clutched to a crying Akuma. The white flower held out her hands and kept her kudzu vines tightly curled into a dome, protecting the master's blood.

"Mizore-chan!" Kyouko called out over the crying Akuma.

"D-don't worry! Nee-san are coming!" The pale-skinned angel strained as Karasuuri's whips beat against the shell of vegetation.

_You cannot fight me forever child! Give to me what is rightfully mine! That child is the last piece I need to take this world from the humans!_

Kyouko shook her head, the voice resonating loudly. She had not heard it before... this – was it this that Tsukune had suffered for so many years? This noise was overwhelming.

"Mizore-chan! Don't let it win! Humans or youkai, it doesn't matter! We're family!" the human girl shouted. Akuma's cries died down as he blinked his eyes of the tears. He looked up at his aunt, soothed by her confidence.

Back in the field of battle Tsukune's heart had stopped, but his body would suddenly begin to convulse. The transmuted witch turned her head to her love, her tar dripping wings extended out, holding any remaining, aggressive Athens at bay.

"Samhain! Moka, Kurumu!" The plant demon heard her mistress' and roared out, commanding the hanabake to act with the humans to push back Karasuuri. The Suisen that surrounding Tsukune turned their heads to face him. The hissed out and bit their fangs into Tsukune's arms, shoulder, neck and legs.


	26. Armageddon

**Chapter 26: Armageddon**

Tsukune screamed. His body arched off the ground as the Suisen seemed to swarm his body. Worshipers fell to the ground as before them it came to pass. Their god had shed his human form and he rose from the bodies of the Suisen that gave themselves onto him. Sacrificing themselves in ritual suicide the Suisen poured their lifeforce into their master, bodies collapsing as seed and monstrous blood filled his corpse. He rose from the dead, arched over, panting heavily.

Tsukune's eyes carried a tinge of gold as the wounds inflicted by the hanabake bled onto the ground. Mist had formed over all of continent, the fumes pouring from Karasuuri's roots which twisted all over the world. Her power was being drained and absorbed by Tsukune who began to shift. His body became twisted in the green and black vines of a hanabake. A monstrous roar escaped his mouth as his body was twisted and grew to equal Samhain's size. The red hanabake dropped to all fours and scurried toward the twist of green and black, tar dripping from its jaws as the higore sped up his transformation.

Samhain rubbed up against the beast, their kami: The Kaou. The green and black beast stood. From its mouth now hung long, writhing tentacles, which from it dripped with the higore secretions. Long digits were encased by membrane, almost webbed. Its body arched at the center of the spine, lined with long, red spikes. Its skull was a bulbous mantle, similar to an octopus' and occasionally expelled the black ooze, spraying it outward through large siphon funnels at both sides of his head. On his back spread to membrane covered wings, black in color. The veins along the wings pumped with life, the thrum of his heart, at least what worshipers saw. The pumps actually pushed the higore sludge through his body.

Once again the beast let out a bellow as Ruby hovered down to settle on his shoulder. The witch lovingly stroked her mate's face. The beast bellowed out, splattering muck from his tentacles. "Shh, my love. Let us defeat Karasuuri. Once and for all free your precious humans, your precious youkai... your precious hybrids. My Tsukune." The witch folded her wings behind her back and looked toward the monstrous tree.

Tsukune hissed out, leaning into the affectionate touch. Ruby sadly smiled. "I am sorry for everything Tsukune. I pray to kami, not to forgive me, but to forgive those who did nothing but suffer under our wrong. Let my prayer be heard, though I no longer deserve to be minded by – kami." Black tears spilled from the witch's eyes.

Samhain rubbed her head under the head of her precious Tsukune, his tentacles wrapping around her skull, touching her, feeling her, but in truth he was rubbing the tar upon her flesh. Without another moment's notice the massive, red, hanabake charged the great tree and headbashed it. When she did so, the tar splattered everywhere, and the defeated and worshipers raced forward, setting fire to anything they could touch and carry so that they could set the black ooze on fire and destroy Karasuuri.

Inside the plant Mizore led Kyouko through the tunnels. One by one the hanabake living within the mother plant would be slain for protecting the tiny angel. The white angel rode on the back of the white hanabake, Kyouko holding on as strongly as she could while clutching a crying Akuma.

"Mizore-chan? Ahh!" Kyoyko tightly held onto the leaves of the hanabake. The white flower carried them through the winding curls of catacombs. Underfoot dead plant matter splashed as the internal vines and roots would twist to try and stop the pair's escape.

_Return the child! He is the last of my coven!_

The plant screamed after them. With Akuma she would become unstoppable! The plant would absorb the child and his strength! This child who controlled the plants, this child who could not be infected by the spores! The hivemind could hear the deserter's plots. Akuma was old enough to recognize his caretakers. The plant planned to kill his parents and use Kyouko as a puppet. The roars of the Kaou and Samhain could be heard as they gore into the tree's body with their claws.

The fires raged and tore through the screaming tree of life. Fire raged through the tunnels, the plant demons throwing themselves into the path of burning matter and whipping vines.

"Don't worry nee-chan." Mizore said with a intent expression. "I'll protect you and Akuma-tan." Akuma was the only one who did not get sick. He was born from parents who carry higore and spores. "Hold on tight nee-chan!" Kyouko nodded and held Akuma tight.

A light at the end of the tunnels! Mizore broke through the last leg of the run. Mizore broke through and the hanakbake clung to the vines of Karasuuri that shot out to kill the Angel and her passenger. When the angel was freed from the bowels of the tree, Tsukune and Samhain, on Ruby's command, tore the tree down.

**o*o*o*o*o*o*o*o*o*o**

Fire swallowed the night skies. Plants fought against the very life bearing tree that once provided for the entire world. In just twenty-four hours the tree was burned to the ground, torn down by its very servants. Kaou's only disciple watched as the tree fell and he was taken from his cross.

_Hokuto_!

The servants of kami cried.

_Heaven has fallen to earth, your sins have been washed away by the Lord, Kaou!_

On the words Hokuto fell to his knees, crying. He could return home? By Kaou's word, his test was over and he was free to once again spread his word. The demon plant: Karasuuri, as torn asunder by those loyal to his Kaou.

The angels that were once at the throne of heaven now walked the earth. Hanabake served man and together to destroy everything, razing the roots of the monstrous Karasuuri, how had taken his Lord, the Kaou's works, in vain. Throughout the world the tree was destroyed and any portion of the roots that could not be removed from the earth, were guarded by hanabake who now live beneath the places man walked.

Never again would man be allowed to forget what the Kaou has given them. Though they were cast out of Eden because of the sins of Karasuuri. From that hell a child had been brought from the flames: Akuma, the son of Kaou. He alone would raise the future yon high and show man how to live with nature. The fruits that grew from the earth were gathered after great sacrifice to her. The hanabake were fed, cultivated and cared for, no longer would humans receive Karasuuri's gifts without the day's labor.

The greatest monument to the Kaou is the great Hall of Shangri-la which lat at the belly of the petrified forms of Kaou and Samhain. Said to lay within the hall is the mummified remains of the Goddess Ruby, who saved her children by providing the world an earthly child. Many children were born on the day of our Kaou, this day on the eve of Suns. Shangri-la is a paradise untouched by man, reached only by the purest man. There he would reach immortality, as the Kaou, Samhain and the Goddess had earned.

May they rest in peace, watching over our mortal souls, praise be to Kaou who destroyed sin, and gave the world a new hope.

_**-Book of the Kaou; Gospel of Kouji 2:31**_

**o*o*o*o*o*o*o*o*o**

All those that were left over from the chaos would soon die from what, today, is known as Soul Sickness. The spores are born from Helian Hanabake, which are now extinct. Yakumaru-sensei, a leading physician in the study of Soul Sickness, can remove the spores with a simple Immunity Shot at birth. Many of the second generation Kaouians, that is anyone born after Armageddon, were born with a natural immunity to the spores and higore that infest many ghetto areas of the world that have yet to recover from the loss of technology and the war for money.

Prophet Akuma, along with Hokuto, disciple of the Kaou, rebuild the world and travel to repair the damage done by man and youkai. With the Prophet and disciple travel a group of women, Akuma's disciples: two witch, a vampire, a succubus and a snow woman.

The Kaou's father continued to write, with the assistance of his niece Kyouko, the experience of life during the Kaou's period. Aono Kouji would later die in his bed, beside his wife, of Soul Sickness. The woman, Kyouko, is said to be the last living relative of the Kaou, and cares for a small plant, named Tsukune. The plant was vibrant and everywhere it went it made others happy. It could speak short, broken words, and expressed nothing but kind things. The plant was loved by the disciples and it was cared for fondly by everyone it met.

The world would never be the same, but no one remembered the world as it was. It was happier now, now that all the sin and decay was gone. It would never vanish, monuments of sin tarnishing the landscape, becoming places where no life would flourish. Here were the places of the greatest evil, and kept the Kaou's descendents working to protect the world they so loved.

~END

**o*o*o*o*o*o*o*o*o**

**(A/N: Beta'd by GrrDraxin)**


End file.
